7 Oct 2002

EU urges Fiji's government to appoint Supreme Court judges to resolve Cabinet make-up

11:58 am on 7 October 2002

The European Union has made it clear to Fiji's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, that it wants the Supreme Court to rule on the make-up of Cabinet urgently and for that ruling to be respected.

Fiji's government is appealing a decision by the High Court ordering the Qarase-led government to accommodate the Fiji Labour Party in a multi party Cabinet as laid down in the 1997 Constitution.

Fiji's Chief Justice, Daniel Fatiaki, is yet to assemble the Supreme Court saying there are other civil cases pending from May 2000 which need attention first.

But the EU's Commissioner, Poul Neilson, told the Daily Post newspaper that he had made it clear to the Prime Minister that the EU expected action.