Regime plays down emergency

[The following dispatch was filed for Pacific Magazine Online.]

Fiji‘s military junta played down the international repercussions of the state of emergency it declared today, saying it was only a “precautionary measure” aimed at ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

The public emergency regulations imposed yesterday, and which are in effect for 30 days, effectively bans Qarase and his party officials from making public comments but the interim regime was vague on exactly how Qarase was a “threat to national security.” month exile on his home island of Vanuabalavu in eastern Fiji.

In a news conference yesterday to announce the move, interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum described the reason as Qarase’s “comments, rhetoric and intentions.”

“In recent days the comments by Mr. Qarase and certain members of his party and their actions have not complemented and in fact have been detrimental to the positive changes that have taken place in recent times,” Sayed-Khaiyum said, reading from a statement.

“Assessments by the security agencies indicate that the comment, rhetoric and intentions of these persons could cause instability.

“The government cannot, given these assessments, take any risk to neutralize or diminish the positive inroads made in recent times. Nor can we have such parochial interests sabotage a stable and socially and economically viable path to the next elections.”

Asked to specify which of Qarase’s comments had whipped “people into some sort of frenzy,” Sayed-Khaiyum would not elaborate.

“I cannot give specific statements. I do not know them off by heart. But the point is the assessment (of the need for a state of emergency) has been done by the experts (military intelligence),” Sayed-Khaiyum said.

He said the “impact will be minimal…It’s just a precautionary measure and also a measure to discourage the environment” that has prevailed for the past week.

The public emergency regulations were imposed immediately after the military seized power on Dec. 5, 2006 and were lifted at the beginning of June before being re-imposed yesterday.

Sayed-Khaiyum insisted that “life will go on as normal” and that soldiers would remain in their barracks.

The regime’s top legal adviser said the emergency would not breach an assurance given to the European Union earlier this year in return for continued aid.

He said that assurance given in March was conditional on “any threats to national security, public order and safety.”

Qarase’s Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party said it would not comment on the move.

After the lifting of the emergency in June, army chief and interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama described Qarase as “insignificant factor in the scheme of things”.

But that was when the deposed prime minister was in his village far from the capital, kept there partially because of an earlier state of emergency and lately but he said were threats on his life.

On Saturday, Qarase flew back to capital ahead of his legal challenge of the interim regime’s legality set to begin in early October and responded readily over the next five days to journalists seeking his comments.

Qarase did not comment yesterday on the ban against his public statements.

Bainimarama accused Qarase of trying to derail his regime’s vision of country free of racism and corruption. Qarase said in reply that corruption could not be completely eradicated because it was an age-old problem.

Bainimarama yesterday specifically named Qarase and the SDL’s national director Peceli Kinivuwai as obstacles to his regime’s “clean-up campaign.”

He threatened to send force the two of them to go back Vanuabalavu in the Lau Group where they would remain “for a very long time.”

Qarase, the SDL leader, had been meeting with party officials and supporters over the past few days, something Sayed-Khaiyum hinted at as a reason for the clampdown.

Sayed-Khaiyum said during the 30-day period of the regulations the police force would remain in the lead role in maintaining law and order but that the army would be on standby to react to any “situation” that may arise.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Mosese Tikoitoga said the provisions in place would be used “against Qarase or any like-minded people” if they make public comments deemed to be “inciting.”

But he denied the military had been monitoring Qarase saying it was the police force, which is led by a naval officer, which was tasked with that job.

“He had better watch his back because police will be watching him. If he steps out of line in relation to the public emergency regulations the police should arrest him and question him on his incitement,” Tikoitoga told local television.

Commissioner of Police Commodore Esala Teleni was to have met with reporters but failed to turn up at the press conference.

Ousted opposition leader Mick Beddoes described the re-imposition of martial law as a step backward for the return to democracy.

“I have not read or seen anything that warrants its reintroduction,” Beddoes told Fiji Television. “The fact that it has been reintroduced is a serious setback to the roadmap to democracy.”

Sayed-Khaiyum said the regulations would be in force for 30 days and that they could be shortened or extended depending on the circumstances.