The interim government of Fiji has been ordered to stop all work aimed at promoting the draft People's Charter.
The order has been given by the High Court in Suva in a decision handed down by Judge Justice Filimoni Jitoko following a complaint by the ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase.
The order restrains the interim government and all its agents from doing anything to alter the 1997 Constitution, promulgation, decrees or changes to the electoral system until the matter has been determined before the High Court.
The order also stops the interim government or its representatives from appropriating and paying any public funds to the National Council for Building a Better Fiji.
The council is charged with drawing up the Charter.
A senior council official, John Samy, says moves are afoot to get a stay order.
"We have to abide by the legal system here. The courts have ruled we should put a stop to it and for now I've instructed all the teams to stop working on it. And my understanding is that the attorney-general's chamber are seeking a stay order. We have to await the outcome of that action."
Meanwhile, Mr Qarase has welcomed the court order.
The decision today is the first part of this case. We had asked the court for an injunction to stop the work on the charter while the proceedings continue in court before the final determination is made.
The interim regime has made a return to democracy conditional on the charter being approved and the electoral system being changed.
