5 Jan 2012

Fiji Labour Party calls for accountability as emergency rule ends

6:44 pm on 5 January 2012

The Fiji Labour Party says the interim government should never have imposed the Public Emergency Regulations, describing them as an obnoxious and repressive set of measures.

The Party has welcomed the interim government's announcement to lift the PER this Saturday but says the decision should be followed by a number of steps.

It says all abuses under the PER must be investigated and those found guilty, punished.

It also wants the government accounts together with Auditor General's reports to be published.

The Labour Party also says ministerial salaries must be made public.

It says there must be absolute accountability and transparency in the affairs of the nation.

The regulations, which give the military and police extensive powers, were imposed in 2009 after the appeal court ruled that Commodore Frank Bainimarama's post-coup interim administration formed in 2006 was illegal.