Some senior members of Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs today called off a meeting to discuss their suspension by the interim administration.
The interim prime minister, Commodore Bainimarama, announced the suspension yesterday saying the chiefs would hold no further meetings.
He also withdrew all state resources at the disposal of the Great Council and diverted them to other government departments.
The suspended chairman of the Great Council, Ratu Ovini Bokini, had said he would call a meeting to discuss the development but called later it off saying he would wait for a formal letter on the suspension from the government.
The Land Force commander, Col Pita Driti, warned that a large meeting at a public venue would be against the Public Order Act and the Emergency Regulations and soldiers would take action to stop one.
Col Driti said people should not try incite any kind of trouble because the military is always ready to take whatever action is necessary.
The deposed prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, says he expects the suspension of the Great Council of Chiefs will alienate public support for the interim government.
The interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has has suspended the GCC following the council's rejection of President Iloilo's nomination of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau to be the next vice president.
But Mr Qarase says the GCC has the authority to reject the nomination if it wishes.
He says the Commodore's plans for a review of the GCC indicate he wants to change the rules regarding the appointment of people to the Council.
Mr Qarase told Radio Tarana the move will worsen the relationship between Fiji and the international community and could have serious consequences in Fiji as well.
"Because the Fijian community is the majority community, the last thing the interim administration should do is to alienate the support of the the Fijian people. So it's a fairly strange move on the part of the interim Prime Minister."
Laisenia Qarase
