Fiji President urges church to get behind interim government

Updated October 10, 2008 20:34:28

Fiji's President has called on the powerful Methodist church and the political leaders of the indigenous people of Fiji to drop their opposition to the military led interim government. Ratu Josefa Iloilo, used his independence day address to endorse Commodore Frank Bainimarama's administration, in the wake of yesterday's court ruling declaring the government legal.

Presenter:Sean Dorney

Speaker: Fiji President, Ratu Josepha Iloilo, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, interim Prime Minister

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DORNEY: Fiji's military on the 38th anniversary of Independence with a clear demonstration of who holds the firepower in this country.

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DORNEY: Fiji's High Court has ruled that the military commander, Frank Bainimarama, who staged the coup in December 2006 is the legal and legitimate Prime Minister Fiji because a month after the coup he was appointed to that job by the President, Ratu Josepha Iloilo, using the President's reserve powers. The ailing Ratu Josepha suffers from Parkinson's disease but he braved the rain to review the parade. Along with the soldiers, the police who are now headed by a military officer, and the prisons service also headed by a soldier marched. It's the first time prison officers have been incorporated into a military parade. The powerful Methodist Church and most indigenous political leaders oppose Commodore Bainimarama's rule but the President appealed to them and to the Fijians, collectively known as the vanua, to support Bainimarama.

RATU JOSEPHA : Our leaders in the church, the vanua and the government need to work together.

DORNEY: Ratu Josepha urged the adoption of Commodore Bainimarama's People's Charter which proposes fundamental changes to how elections are held in Fiji saying it's the way forward.

RATU JOSEPHA: We need to engage in constructive dialogue and to co-operate to lay the more solid foundation that we now need to re-build Fiji .

DORNEY: Commodore Bainimarama stood next to the President but did not address the nation. The judges have said the President is entitled to direct rule , but there is little doubt who is ruling this country. Australia and the rest of the Pacific Islands Forum want Fiji to hold elections by March next year and they're threatening Fiji with suspension. However Fiji's High Court has endorsed rule by decree until the Commodore is ready to advise the President on when elections can be held.

DORNEY: Excuse me, Sir, is there a message for Australia in yesterday's ruling?

BAINIMARAMA: No, no, I have no comment.

DORNEY: In Fiji, those who opposed the coup are finding it harder to be heard.

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