Ousted Fiji leader welcomes Forum suspension warning

Updated August 21, 2008 16:19:57

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Fiji's ousted prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, who wrote to the Forum asking for intervention in returning Fiji to democratic rule is pleased with the statement issued by the leaders in Niue, saying he hopes Fiji's military leader will now have a change of heart on the early restoration of democracy.


Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Laisenia Qarase, Fiji's ousted prime minister

QARASE: Well I am happy with the response, I think they have made the right decisions under the circumstances. They are quite helpful. The problem is whether our interim government will listen to wise and very sound suggestions and advice, and if they follow the declarations that have made, or at least some of them, then I see the possibility of Fiji getting to democratic rule by next year. It would be unfortunate if the interim government brushes aside the decisions by the forum leaders. It would be most unfortunate for Fiji.

COUTTS: Given the statements that we saw in the press this week attributed to Commodore Frank Bainimarama and the headlines were something like, 'no one can tell me what to do'. Do you think that they'll take any notice of this statement from the forum, and will they for instance rejoin the ministerial contact working group that they suspended a relationship with earlier this year?

QARASE: Well based on his recent statements and all that there is a big question mark on that. But I do hope his advisers will advise him wisely that he listens to advice from the forum. They are very concerned about Fiji, they want to help, and they have expressed they want to help and it's really up to our interim government to respond positively to what they have suggested.

COUTTS: What will it take do you think, given that they're offended by Australia and New Zealand, what will it take for Fiji to return to the fold?

QARASE: I think the answer is very simple, it's really for Commodore Bainimarama to listen to the voices of the majority of the people of this country, and we are voicing our concerns, we are telling him that we want elections by March 2009, and I hope he does listen to us, because we, the majority of the people of Fiji do not want what is going on in the country today. And if only he can listen to that and accept the suggestions by the forum leaders, we could be going back to democratic rule fairly quickly.