*EPF204 03/20/01
Text: U.S. Regrets Apparent Violation of Fiji's Constitution
(Reappointment of Quarase ignores Court of Appeal ruling) (450)

U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher issued a statement March 16 expressing U.S. regret over the reappointment of Laisenia Qarase as Fiji's prime minister and stating that the move "apparently ignores the recent ruling by the [Fiji] Court of Appeal upholding the validity of Fiji's 1997 constitution."

Boucher also repeated U.S. concerns over the constitutionality of the earlier dismissal of Fiji's Prime Minister Chaudhry and the appointment of Tevita Momoedonu to that position, stating that the moves appeared to be an exercise to appear to observe constitutional formalities while avoiding reconvening the elected Parliament.

The government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was toppled in May 2000 when gunmen stormed the Parliament. Fiji's military quelled the rebellion and appointed Laisenia Qarase as prime minister, who in turn named other administration officials. The Fiji Court of Appeal ruled on 1 March 2001 that Qarase and his administration had been illegally appointed, however, so Fiji's President Ratu Josefa Iloilo dismissed Qarase and installed Ratu Tevita Momoedonu -- Minister of Labor under Chaudhry -- as prime minister. Momoedonu held the position for only a day before he resigned and President Iloilo reappointed Qarase as prime minister.

Following is the text of the statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

March 16, 2001

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Fiji -- Reappointment of Laisenia Qarase as Prime Minister

We regret President Iloilo's decision to reappoint Laisenia Qarase as Fiji's Prime Minister, which apparently ignores the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal upholding the validity of Fiji's 1997 constitution.

We have repeatedly stated that upholding basic principles of democracy, the rule of law, and international standards of human rights, as embodied in Fiji's 1997 constitution, would be a benchmark for determining our reaction to the crisis in Fiji. This constitution was drafted to recognize the rights of all of Fiji's citizens.

The dismissal of Prime Minister Chaudhry and the appointment of Tevita Momoedonu as Prime Minister without reconvening Parliament do not appear consistent with the constitution. The apparent purpose of this exercise was to avoid reconvening the elected Parliament, whose consent to the appointment of a new Prime Minister is required by Fiji's constitution. We believe Fiji's crisis can only be resolved through respect for the rule of law.

We call on all parties in the ongoing political crisis to work together to bring Fiji back to democratic government, under the guidelines provided in Fiji's constitution.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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