CANBERRA (Pacnews) — Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Fiji’s military ruler Frank Bainimarama lacks the authority to reappoint the president.
Commodore Bainimarama said the military will return executive authority to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo in two weeks time.
He said Iloilo will then appoint an interim administration on the advice of the military by the end of January.
But Downer said this is not the military’s role.
”It’s not the role of the military commander to be appointing the president and telling the president who to appoint. It’s the role of the Great Council of Chiefs to appoint the president,” said Downer.
“Commodore Bainimarama has got himself into untold difficulties over this coup. It doesn’t have widespread support in the country. He should understand that. He should put the rule of law ahead of his own personal interests and allow the Great Council of Chiefs to appoint or reappoint the president and for the democratic government to be re-established straight away,” Downer said.