The Hindu : Fiji PM offers to meet deposed rivals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2003

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International

Fiji PM offers to meet deposed rivals

Suva July 21. The Fiji Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, today invited key political rivals for talks this week on the issue of forming a multi-ethnic Cabinet in response to a Supreme Court ruling.

On Friday, Mr. Qarase lost his last legal bid to keep the deposed Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and his Fiji Labour Party (FLP) out of the Cabinet when the court ruled that power sharing was required by the Constitution.

Though the court ordered creation of a multi-party Cabinet without delay, Mr. Qarase has not spoken yet with Mr. Chaudhry.

But speaking on Fiji Television, he issued an invitation to Mr. Chaudhry and the FLP — which draws much of its support from the Indian community— to talks on Wednesday morning.

Mr. Qarase said he would invite Mr. Chaudhry to submit a Cabinet list, but made it clear he still believed the differences between the two sides would be too great.

Mr. Chaudhry was the country's first Indian Prime Minister, elected in 1999, but was overthrown in a coup led by now convicted George Speight in May 2000.

Mr. Chaudhry said he had received the invitation, but felt that the Government was trying to hold the issue up.

``It is not right for the Prime Minister to drag his feet on the issue,'' Mr. Chaudhry said, noting that the court had ordered for action without delay. — AFP

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