Fiji's elected leader came out of hiding yesterday to hold talks with the vice president that may yet avert a coup -- as the military commander who has threatened to depose the government reportedly declared himself "boss."
Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and a military envoy held separate talks with Fijian Vice President Joni Mandraiwiwi, about 24 hours after a deadline marking what the armed forces commander said was the "green light" to a takeover passed without incident.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Mandraiwiwi, Qarase said "the dialogue is going to continue" between the two sides through the vice president, but declined to provide details.
"I hope that over the next few days ... there would be more contact between the government and the military to try and sort our problems out as early as we can," he said.
"I will try my best to be in power for the next four and a half years," he added, when asked whether he would still be in power next week.
Mandraiwiwi yesterday held talks with Captain Ben Nalva, the personal secretary of the military commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama. The meetings raised hopes that there was still room for negotiation between the two sides, despite a noon Friday deadline Bainimarama set for the government to meet a range of demands or face ouster.
Bainimarama has denied he had granted an extension on his ultimatum, though troops stayed in their barracks and the capital remained quiet yesterday.
Bainimarama said Qarase had no authority to claim the deadline had been extended, adding "Is he the commander? I am the commander."
Yesterday's Fiji Sun newspaper quoted Bainimarama as saying: "I'm his boss."
Qarase responded, saying that nowhere in Fiji's laws "does it say that the commander is ... the boss of the prime minister."
Bainimarama has demanded the government kill legislation that would grant pardons to conspirators in a 2000 coup and quash two other land rights bills he says unfairly favor majority indigenous Fijians over the ethnic Indian minority.
Qarase, who left Suva early on Friday and spent the day in hiding for security reasons, said he had made all the concessions to Bainimarama that he could within the law.
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