Fiji Government's resignation offer rejected

SUVA - Fiji's President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, has turned down an offer by the post-coup military-backed Government to resign and asked it to stay on in a caretaker role.

His response to interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's offer came as the Great Council of Chiefs adjourned until Tuesday a meeting called to plot a course out of the political crisis.

The Qarase Government was put in place after George Speight's attempted coup in May 2000 that toppled the elected Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, Fiji's first ethnic Indian Premier. Qarase offered his resignation on Wednesday after the Court of Appeal last week declared his Government illegal.

Iloilo must now consider whether to recall Parliament, install a Government of national unity or rely on a caretaker Administration until fresh elections.

The council of chiefs began meeting on Thursday to decide on a response to last week's court ruling. It must also nominate a new President after the court ruled that Iloilo must step down by March 15.

- REUTERS

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