Fiji military nears naming civilian administration

Fiji military nears naming civilian administration

SUVA (Reuters): Fiji's military said on Sunday it was on track
to recruit a multi-racial interim civilian government by July 5,
denying a media report that the nation's hostage crisis had made
some candidates too frightened to serve as ministers.

The military declared martial law on May 29, 10 days after
armed rebels led by businessman George Speight seized the
parliamentary complex in Suva, taking Fiji's ethnic Indian prime
minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and his multi-racial coalition
hostage in a bid to end Indian political power.

"I wouldn't term it too frightened... There are some people
who naturally would not want to serve in an administration in a
time of crisis like this," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel
Filipo Tarakinikini told reporters.

The rebels have refused to release the hostages until a
civilian government comprised with a majority of indigenous
Fijians is established.

Tarakinikini said the new civilian administration will contain
some ethnic Indian Fijians, who will be given protection by the
military "to ensure nothing happens to them."

The army's main focus now is establishing the civilian
administration, which is expected to serve for up to two years
under the executive authority of the military to prepare for a
general election, Tarakinikini said.

"Once that is in hand, we will free up all the resources at
our disposal to focus on trying to resolve the (hostage)
situation in parliament," Tarakinikini said.

The Fiji Sun newspaper on Sunday, citing military sources,
said two Indian-Fijians approached for ministerial posts had
declined.

It also said Ro Teimumu, sister-in-law of deposed president
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, had turned down a post because "the
safety of my family is more important".

The parliamentary compound where rebels are holding Chaudhry
and 26 other hostages remained open to visitors on Saturday
despite threats by the military to block off the area.

Tarakinikini said preparations were being made to establish an
exclusion zone around parliament to make the area off limits to
everyone except the army.

Since seizing the parliamentary compound, the rebels have been
joined by around 200 supporters, who are visited daily by family
and friends, who along with church groups deliver food and other
supplies.

Speight has said it was unlikely he would be able to restrain
people in the compound from killing the hostages if the army
launched an attack.

Some residents living near the compound were not waiting for
the military to make up its mind, having already removed
valuables and fortified their homes in anticipation of an army
assault.

Speight and his core supporters have been offered amnesty by
the military conditional on the safe release of the hostages and
the return of all weapons stolen from the army.