12 Mar 2007

Fiji academic at Oxford delivers proposal for government of national unity

5:57 pm on 12 March 2007

An Oxford University-based academic from Fiji has proposed an interim Government of National Unity comprising of elected MPs as a way forward from the current situation in the country.

Dr Victor Lal says such a government could comprise of between four and six members from the Fiji Labour Party and the SDL, both members of the United People's party and an attorney general from outside parliament.

Dr Lal says it is important that apart from the attorney general, all members of the Government of National Unity are elected MPs.

He says the term of all other elected MPs should continue with a reduction in salaries of 50% and parliament should enact an Amnesty Act to grant amnesty to the military for all political acts between November 1 and December 31.

Dr Lal has also proposed a Presidential Advisory Council which could have military members as well as people of repute from outside political parties which would have veto powers over the interim Government of National Unity.

After detailing the functions of the various bodies he has proposed, Dr Lal says these arrangements can continue for the entire balance of the previous parliament's life, or until 2011.

Dr Lal says all his proposals are within the constitution and the laws of Fiji and the advantage would be that that an elected government would be running the executive arm of the state.

He says this will eliminate all the adverse international reaction against Fiji because the international community is only interested in democracy with elected members being in charge of decision making.