Fiji military strongman threatens to cancel elections

May 23, 2008, 8:56 GMT

Wellington - Fiji's military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a bloodless coup 18 months ago, has threatened to cancel new elections he promised to hold next March, according to reports from the capital Suva on Friday.

Bainimarama said there would be no elections if the Pacific island state's politicians do not sign up to his so-called People's Charter which is designed to end dominance of the government and administration by the indigenous Fijian community.

The independent Fijilive website said Bainimarama told it he had spelled this out to Laisenia Qarase, the prime minister he ousted in December 2006, when they held talks for the first time on Monday.

The Fiji Times Online website said Bainimarama, who has installed himself as interim prime minister, said the military would ensure that whoever won the next election would uphold the principles and ideals of the charter, which gives the ethnic Indian minority equal status.

Bainimarama overthrew the Qarase government, accusing it of divisive, racist policies that discriminated against the Indian community and were responsible for three coups and a military mutiny that Fiji has experienced in the last 21 years.

The European Union, United States, Australia and New Zealand have all imposed sanctions on Fiji and restricted aid pending fresh elections and a return to democracy.