19 Jan 2007

Fiji president signs decree to validate all military decisions

3:25 pm on 19 January 2007

Fiji's president has announced a decree which validates all declarations and decisions made by the military-backed government and the military since last month's coup.

Ratu Joefa Iloilo says all decrees and decisions made by the interim government or its commander or by other persons on its behalf up to the 4th of January have been unconditionally ratified, validated and confirmed.

President Iloilo's decree says that all the decisions made by the military and its commander when he held executive authority from December 5th have full effect in law and remain in full effect in law.

President Iloilo says all people sacked by the military should regard themselves as terminated from the time they were informed.

Those sacked include the former police commissioner, Australian national Andrew Hughes who fled Fiji a few days before the coup, and several of his senior officers including the deputy commissioner, Moses Driver.

Others sacked include the former head of the Prime minister's Office, Jioji Kotobalavu; the solicitor general, Nainendra Nand; the supervisor of elections, Semesa Karavaki; and the former chief executive of the public service commission, Anare Jale.