Bomb Device Found In Coral Coast

Bomb Device Found In Coral Coast

Issue No: 125; 17 October 2000

Parts of a bomb were found near Sigatoka yesterday.

The military's spokesperson, Howard Politini told Radio Fiji's midday news today that the device seemed to have been attached to a vehicle but fell off at a road hump in Korotogo. The military is currently testing the devise. No further detail is available on the find. Whether there is a link between this find and the arrival from Australia today of the elected Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry is not clear.

Korotogo is on the Coral Coast, which hosts numerous middle-level hotels which are popular for Australian and New Zealand visitors. Korotogo is about one hour 10 minutes from the Nadi International Airport. The media noted that the military had boosted its presence in Sigatoka over the past weekend and speculated that this was because of armed terrorists in Sigatoka area. The military denied that there was any added presence of soliders in the tourist town.

Earlier a bomb was found in the compound of the Centra Hotel, close to the court house in central Suva.

Meanwhile the military has requested for the extension of the Emergency Decree - which empowers military wideranging powers - to December this year.

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Threat Of Uprising

Issue No: 124; 17 October 2000

One of the two Qarase cabinet members to be questioned this week for their participation in terrorist activities in Fiji has threatened of an uprising if he is charged.

The member allegedly passed the message to the Police Force that if he was charged, he will create problems for the force and the civilians.

The police department is to question Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and Apisai Tora this week. Tora and suspended Police Commissioner Isikia Savua are related through marriage.

Meanwhile the inquiry report on the role of suspended Police Commissioner Isikia Savua in the terrorist take-over of the Parliament is to be handed in to the President by the end of this month.

The Peoples Coalition has been informed that numerous police officers refrained from making submissions to the inquiry committee for fear of being targeted by Savua and his cronies in the Force. A vast majority of career police officers want Savua removed for incompetence, corruption and unprofessional behaviour.

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Another UGP Member Resigns

Issue No: 123; 17 October 2000

Another member of the United Generals Party has resigned from the party for the party's decision to participate in Qarase's Constitution Commission.

A Fiji Times report of 16 October states that Prudence Rouse resigned on Saturday because he "could not support the illegal cancellation of the 1997 Constitution".

Earlier, UGP co-founder and party spokesman, Mick Beddoes had resigned because a majority of the executives of the UGP decided to participate in the Commission unconditionally.

During the time the government was held hostage by terrorists, Beddoes had organised a nation wide petition drive calling for democracy.

UGP was a coalition partner with the SVT and NFP.

Meanwhile it is believed that one of the Constitutional Commissioners supposedly representing the ethnic Indian community is sick and admitted at the CWM hospital.

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SVT Considered A Coup

Issue No: 122; 17 October 2000

The SVT had discussed the option of a coup to depose the Peoples Coalition government.

An article in today's Daily Post by SVT member and ardent pro-democracy activist, Jone Dakuvula states that Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, the SVT leader, and Apisai Tora had considered the coup option "right from the beginning".

Dakuvula believes that the opposition to the Peoples Coalition Government was deliberately fermented by the SVT through a well orchestrated plan which included rejecting, at the insistence of Jim Ah Koy, the Peoples Coalition proposal for the SVT to join the government as per the requirements of the 1997 Constitution, and racially slanted speeches and press statements drafted by SVT Senator Ahmed Ali. Ahmed Ali, an ethnic Indian, is a former Alliance Government Minister and actively supported the overthrow of the Bavadra Government in 1987 by Sitiveni Rabuka.

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Police Refuse Security For Elected Prime Minister

Issue No: 121; 17 October 2000

The police department has refused to provide security for the legitimately elected Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry.

Today's Fiji times (17 Oct) quotes the Police as saying:

"He [Chaudhry] is no longer a [minister] and why should the Government provide security for him? He should have been cautious and he has brought the threats on himself".

The statement is similar to those made by suspended Police Commissioner Isikia Savua who said after a political march of 1,000 SVT supporters that the Police will not be able to provide security to the city residents in another march took place.

There have been strong reports of security threats to Prime Minister Chaudhry and certain other cabinet colleagues of his. A cartoon in today's Fiji Sun says "This could be the moment Nimcy's been waiting for" referring to the reports that the prison escapee Alifereti Nimacere and Parliament Complex terrorist Tevita Poese were well protected by segments of the disciplined force and some Speight/Qarase supporters to use them against Chaudhry and others.

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17 October 2000.

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