17 Apr 2008

Ousted Fiji opposition leader calls for boycott of forum on electoral change

3:48 pm on 17 April 2008

Fiji's ousted opposition leader, Mick Beddoes, is calling for a boycott of a public forum which is being proposed to discuss electoral changes.

This comes after the interim regime's National Council of Building A Better Fiji made a request for such a forum.

Mr Beddoes says it's obvious that the interim regime wants to amend the constitution and doesn't intend to hold elections based on the constitution.

The constitution provides for voting along community lines, with 25 of the 71 seats being open to all races.

He is calling on the public and the international community to peacefully oppose the plan to subvert the constitution.

"People should be more concerned than they have been in the past, because in a very short time things have started to become accelerated in terms of what their real agenda is. It's time for all those who are in opposition to consolidate their positions and put up some serious opposition to what's been going on."

Mick Beddoes