Fiji coup tipped for tomorrow

The Daily Post said that at 3am tomorrow (4am NZ time) soldiers will blockade the capital and later in the day military head Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama will move in and install his interim government.

It said President Ratu Josefa Iloilo will support the Commodore and dismiss the Government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

The Daily Post said Parliament would be dissolved by the president.

Fairfax Media has independently heard an outline of the plan which includes the military securing the strategic Monasavu Dam in the interior of Viti Levu which provides 80 per cent of the country's electricity.

The military are said to be anxious about people from the Naitasiri province, north of Suva, coming into the city.

The Naitasiri paramount chief, Inoke Takiveikata, is serving a life sentence for his role in inciting the 2000 mutiny in which soldiers tried to kill Commodore Bainimarama.

Among Naitasiri people there is a deep sense they were betrayed by the commodore during the events surround the May 19, 2000, George Speight coup.

The Daily Post, the smallest of Fiji's three dailies, had a good record in predicting when coups take place.

Four days before Speight's coup, the Post's editor, Mesaki Koroi, accurately predicted that a march in Suva would be bloody and said there was talk of "burning and looting." It did occur and later evidence showed it was the cover used to allow Speight to seize Parliament.

Koroi is a traditional talking chief from the Lau Islands and his chief is Mr Qarase.

Fairfax Media was told by informed sources that the Commodore has a list of names of people who will go into his new interim administration. Several key people have been approached to be prime minister.

It has been claimed in Parliament recently that one of those expected to take a key role in the new government is Mahendra Chaudhry who in May 1999 became Fiji's first Indo-Fijian prime minister. He was overthrown a year later by Speight.

Chaudhry has been silent throughout the latest crisis.

Meanwhile Commodore Bainimarama told the Fiji Times that the military had taken over the police force.

"The police have not done a good job in the past and now the military will take over in looking after the people and the nation," he said.

Acting Police Commissioner Moses Driver said the military had no right to take over the police.

"It is illegal and unconstitutional for Mr Bainimarama to take over the responsibilities of the police force in Fiji," he said.

It was also reported today that Mr Bainimarama had ruled out further talks with Mr Qarase.

Mr Qarase who returned to the capital Suva on Saturday said yesterday he still hoped the country's fourth coup in two decades could be avoided through dialogue.

But Cdre Bainimarama was today reported on the fijilive website as saying Mr Qarase's time had run out on Friday.

"I don't have to meet with him anymore," he said.

He made the comments as the Mr Qarase made himself available for further talks to try and resolve the crisis facing the nation.

Cdre Bainimarama remained adamant the military would take control of the South Pacific nation in what he described as a "peaceful transition".