Labour left out of Fiji Govt.

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, SEPT. 12. Fiji's Prime Minister, Mr. Laisenia Qarase, today omitted the Labour Party of Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry from a 20- member Cabinet that was formed in Suva today.

Mr. Qarase's decision appeared to be a prima facie violation of the country's Constitution, which states that parties with more than eight seats should be allowed to participate in the Government. The Labour Party has 27 seats in the 71-member House of Representatives. Two members from Mr. George Speight's Conservative Alliance have been given berths, dashing hopes that Mr. Qarase would not take support from those who were behind the May 2000 coup. No Indo-Fijian finds a place in the Qarase Government. Reports from Suva said that the Labour Party proposed to move the courts to seek redress against Mr. Qarase's decision. In a letter to Mr. Chaudhry, Mr. Qarase said there were basic differences of approach between his Soqosoqo Duavata Ni Lewanivanua (SDL) party and the Labour Party. He cited Mr. Chaudhry's own comments to justify his party's exclusion from Government. ``A number of our policies are diametrically opposed to each other. It is not a question of simply getting in there to run a Government and the running to trouble at the first Cabinet meeting,'' the Prime Minister quoted Mr. Chaudhry as saying.

``....The provisions under Section 99 of the Constitution for a multi-party Government were basically to improve national unity. In that spirit, my party has entered into a multi-party arrangement with the independents and smaller parties in the House of Representatives.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : U.N. Assembly session in doubt