20 Apr 2007

Fiji Citizens Constitutional Forum welcomes administration's commitments with EU

3:30 pm on 20 April 2007

Fiji's Citizens Constitutional Forum has welcomed the commitments that the interim government has agreed to following its talks with the European Union.

As a result of this week's EU talks in Brussels, the interim administration has made wide ranging commitments, including the lifting of the Public Emergency Regulations by next month.

The CCF's Jone Dakavula says the talks have put Fiji more firmly on the road towards democracy.

He says the commitments mean the military-led Fiji administration will have to refrain from doing things that are inconsistent with the constitution, like the recent suspension of the Chief Justice.

"They're going to appoint a tribunal to investigate, I guess, the chief justice removal as well as the judiciary, which is a good thing. And a whole range of things that the government is doing, they need to review in order to conform to the constitution and they have to agree to dates on which certain things need to be done by in preparation for an election."

The chairman of the suspended Great Council of Chiefs in Fiji says it is seeking clarification on its dismissal by the interim administration.

The interim government has suspended the council and sacked all its members after the GCC refused to recognise President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's nomination of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau as vice president.

Ratu Ovini Bokini says the interim administration made the wrong move.

The interim government has suspended the GCC and we as members don't agree with it. I have written to the minister, there are a few questions that I have posed and I am still waiting for him to reply.

The European Union told the interim government at talks in Brussels it should preserve the independence of the GCC and Ratu Ovini says this will give the interim government the opportunity to reconsider its stand.