24 May 2006

Concerns about Fiji opposition grouping

9:39 am on 24 May 2006

Following the formation of a multi-party cabinet in Fiji, questions are now being asked about who is in the opposition and who will be the opposition leader.

The Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, said on Monday that while his MPs would be in cabinet, he would take up the opposition leader's post.

Mr Chaudhry still says he would be in the opposition, but admits it is now debatable whether he would be the opposition leader.

The prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, says his understanding of the law is that with Labour now part of the cabinet, its backbenchers and their leader would be part of the government.

The Korolevu Declaration which was signed after the 1997 Constitution came into force also says that any party which joins a multi-party cabinet cannot be part of the opposition.

Labour was a signatory to that agreement.

These developments leave only the 2-member United People's Party as the opposition and its leader, Mick Beddoes, in line to be the opposition leader.

But Mr Beddoes says that's a call for the president to make.