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.