Fiji's coup leader Voreqe Bainima-rama consolidated his hold on power yesterday after being sworn in as interim prime minister, exactly one month after overthrowing the elected government.
The swearing-in by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo came a day after Bainimarama initiated moves to form an interim government in the South Pacific nation by reinstating Iloilo -- a close ally -- as president.
He also reiterated that the military would be given legal immunity for their role in overthrowing prime minister Laisenia Qarase's government on Dec. 5.
The swearing-in was described by New Zealand as a failed attempt to legitimize the coup, and as illegal by the deposed Qarase, who warned of a looming military dictatorship.
A month after orchestrating Fiji's fourth coup in two decades, Bainimarama undertook to be "a true and faithful prime minister."
Under the Fijian political system, the presidency is largely a figurehead role, with executive power lying with the prime minister and the soon to be named Cabinet.
In an address to the nation after the swearing-in, Bainimarama said he would also continue as head of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
He also had a warning for anyone considering opposing the military-led government.
"I implore all those who may think about challenging, through whatever means and methods, the choice and wisdom of his excellency [the president] to think again," he said.
"Let's work together in peace and harmony to take our country through to truly democratic and Constitution-based elections," he said.
No time frame was given for holding elections. Bainimarama simply repeated Iloilo's words from Thursday that polls would be held when "political and economic conditions are conducive."
He also promised to improve the economy, eliminate "systemic corruption" and improve relations with neighboring countries.
Bainimarama ended his address broadcast from military headquarters by saying Fiji was marking a new beginning, prompting loud applause from military officers.
But Qarase told Fiji radio from his remote island home -- where he was exiled by Bainimarama -- that the country was close to becoming a military dictatorship.
"We can look at some very unsettled times ahead. We can look forward to a dictatorial government," Qarase said.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the appointment was a charade and an attempt to legitimize the coup which would fool no one.
Fiji's military has been condemned by the international community for the coup and the US, Australia and New Zealand are among countries which have imposed sanctions on Fiji.
Bainimarama had long accused Qarase's government of corruption, introducing racist policies which harmed the ethnic Indian minority and of being soft on plotters of a coup in 2000.
The rebellious armed forces chief, who was nearly killed in a military rebellion associated with the 2000 coup, accused Qarase's nationalist government of perpetuating a "coup culture" by not bringing putsch plotters to justice.
Attempts by Qarase's government to sack Bainimarama before the coup were unsuccessful due to the support of the ailing 86-year-old president, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese
RIVER TRAGEDY: Local fishers and residents helped rescue people after the vessel capsized, while motorbike taxis evacuated some of the injured At least 58 people going to a funeral died after their overloaded river boat capsized in the Central African Republic’s (CAR) capital, Bangui, the head of civil protection said on Saturday. “We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies,” Thomas Djimasse told Radio Guira. “We don’t know the total number of people who are underwater. According to witnesses and videos on social media, the wooden boat was carrying more than 300 people — some standing and others perched on wooden structures — when it sank on the Mpoko River on Friday. The vessel was heading to the funeral of a village chief in