SUVA - A judge of the Fiji High Court, who yesterday cleared the way for national elections next month, says he agrees with comments by the former Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs, Sitiveni Rabuka, that the country is still not out of the woods.
Justice Michael Scott agreedthere is still the potential for disruptions to law and order.
The judge ruled yesterday that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's decision to dissolve parliament, dismiss Mahendra Chaudhry as Prime Minister and appoint a caretaker government - were made on the grounds of neccessity.
Eight pro-democracy activists had taken the President to court, claiming he had acted illegally in the wake of last year's coup.
As a result of the judgment, the President is expected to call elections for late August.
During the hearing, an affidavit from the Great Council of Chiefs office was produced, revealing that Rabuka - a former prime minister and leader of two military coups in 1987 - had written a letter to former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry on May 10th, 2000, nine days before the coup.
The letter was a petition of grievances against the government and the 1997 multi-racial constitution. The petition was signed by 13,000 people.
Justice Scott said 13,000 people do not represent a small group and it is clear Fiji cannot turn back the clock to the way things were before the coup.
