12 Sep 2003

Fiji PM says cabinet formation efforts exhausted

6:55 am on 12 September 2003

Fiji's Prime Minister has given his strongest indication yet that time is running out for the Labour Party to join his government.

Laisenia Qarase told Fiji TV last night that he has done everything he could to comply with the Supreme Court ruling to form a multi party cabinet without delay.

Mr Qarase says the Labour leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, has been given enough time and he is now moving on.

He says Labour can still come in based on the 14 Cabinet positions he has offered to the Party.

But Mr Qarase says as Mr Chaudhry has chosen to delay matters, he is seeking legal advice on the refusal by the 14 labour MPs to join his Cabinet and other matters raised by the Labour leader.

Mr Chaudhry says he is not bound by any deadline set by the Prime Minister.

Mr Qarase is expected to brief President Iloilo before he make a public announcement on the issue next Wednesday.