Military Seizes Power In Fiji

The Commmander of Fiji's military, has seized control of the country. He dismissed the prime minister and appointed an interim replacement. Commodore Frank Bainimarama claimed to be using special powers under the Constitution to assume the powers of the President.



I'm not sure I understand how he is using powers under the Constitution to assume power over the President, or why he is admitting to it.

In Parliament tuesday the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that defense ties with Fiji were being severed, and that the officers and their families would be banned.

It's amazing how they only think about themselves, and not the people living there.

Outrageous!

I do not know what there constition says but I doubt any one would writhe in there constition that it is ok to stage a military coup, but hear is another thred on the topic.

Fiji may be planning a coup.

Very true RedGolem, I don't see how it could be fair to give anyone the power to overthrow any high authority figures.

Well technically the US constitution puts it relatively clear that if a system becomes corrupt without change, it is the duty of the citizens to make sure this changes. I don't know if you consider militia military or not. I think that if Fiji is a country where its people are so poor they have nothing to retake the country with, maybe it was best the military did it.

Either way, it will be seen in the future whether or not the military overthrew the government for the benefit of the people to re-establish a new system or their own benefit with dictatorship powers.

Great, like we really need any more strife in the world.

What really gets me is they're doing it over a stupid ethnicality difference.


I wonder if the U.S. has any plans to do anything.

Beat ya to this story, Yea but aparently the guy starting the coup waited till the end of a rugby match to get on with it.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I was hoping that nothing would have come of this, seing as how the guy was nice enough to give em a deadline, wait for a rugby match to get over so on and so forth. Doesnt seem like the typical bloody coup.

Iori

What makes you think they are doing it over ethnic differences?

Whatukno

I'm interested in knowing why you thought nothing was going to happen.

He wasn't nice enough to give them a deadline, he was just trying to flaunt his power by trying to show people that it wasn't a big deal to him and he could've waited for his bagel to get done because, they didn't mean anything to him.

Ive been to Fiji about 6 times, and theres definate racial intolerance there between Indian Fijians and Ethnic Fijians ( The Government is controlled by Ethnics, the coup leader is Indian)

As a Indian Fijian taxi driver once told me when i quizzed him about racial tensions " They (ethnics) are just like the the Australian Aboriginals, Lazy etc ".
I never asked Ethnics there feelings on Indians, but i got the feeling that more racism comes from the Indian Fijians than the Ethnic Fijians.

So that is the crust of the problem i beleive, and something i find Hilarious is that one of Commodore Frank Bainimarama reasons for the coup was because the Government was going to allow Amnesty to the Last leader of a Coup !!!

www.telegraph.co.uk.../news/2006/12/04/ufij i104.xml

"Ninety percent of Indians support Frank," said Anand Prasad, 45, a businessman. "Qarase is a racist. The Indians built this country but the government wants to take away all our rights." Govind Lal, 33, a former policeman, said: "The government is crooked and biased against Indians. It will be good if the military takes over." Cdre Bainimarama installed Mr Qarase as interim leader after declaring martial law to put down Fiji's last coup in 2000, but now accuses him of being too lenient towards the coup conspirators.

So seems like the age old, "your the racist, No, your the racist," blame game!!

Ive been to Fiji about 6 times, and theres definate racial intolerance there between Indian Fijians and Ethnic Fijians

*definite

Theres not only racial intolerance between indian fiji's and ethnic fiji's though, there are tons more racial intolerance than that.

whatuknow

very nice link

Originally posted by callonme
Theres not only racial intolerance between indian fiji's and ethnic fiji's though, there are tons more racial intolerance than that

Would you care to elaborate on this or at least post a link, or some kind of evidence to back this up?

There aren't only indian fiji people and normal fiji people there.

White man live there also, along with african americans, and other races.

I dont have links or information to back this up, could you find a link for me to read?

Why would you post information that you did not have evidence for?

Are you just assuming that those races live there?

hm... is this a good thing or bad thing? im not very well educated in politics.

Why is this such big news?

I could probably take over Fiji.

CocaCola

This is a bad thing, most coup's are never good.

TheyAreWatching why do you think you can take over Fiji yourself?

Umm..

Because it's Fiji..


FIJI!!

I'm still confused as to how 1 man can take over a country.

Well, it was actually meant to be a joke. I'll think twice next time. But you people need to not take everything so literally, not just you 1Crisis, I've seen others.

The joke was basically because it would be against the military of Fiji..

Yeah, ok then. Nevermind. I'm done explaining it.

Well I understand, I'm just not up to terms with the power of the Fiji military. Is there a comparison between the Fiji Military and Rhode Island?