13 Nov 2007

Fiji interim regime plans new council to meet in December

3:42 pm on 13 November 2007

Fiji's interim government is planning for the proposed National Council for Building a Better Fiji to have its first sitting by the middle of next month.

The appointed council is supposed to be a cross section of the community, but some groups have already said they will not take part.

The main focus of the organisation will be the development of a People's Charter for Change and Progress.

But the union leader and former Labour Minister in the deposed SDL government, Kenneth Zinck, suspects there is an ulterior motive for developing the document:

"We're not sure where the charter is going to take us. We believe this charter is just another blueprint, I suppose, to replace 1997 constitution, although that has not been made clear. But we believe that if charter goes through then the 1997 constitution can be abrogated, which is going to make this place worse."

Mr Zinck says while the Charter is only a proposal there are few details available of what the proposal involves.