October 6, 2007

By Michael Field

   FIJI'S military leaders will lift martial law at mid-day today after deciding there was no threat to the South Pacific nation. 

   Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga told Fiji Broadcasting the military was confident and they saw no threat to the nation. 

   "We understand and have heard a lot of rumours about things that might happen in the future and we have made the assessment that there is no threat and we would like to reassure citizens of this country they can do whatever they want to do, they can go ahead and live a life of their own without having to be scared about all this rumours," he said. 

   Military head Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama seized power in a coup last December and declared a state of emergency which lasted until June. He then re-imposed last month when the man he deposed as prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, returned to Suva from his internal exile at Vanuabalavu in the Lau Islands. 

   The new martial law provoked fierce international criticism of Fiji. 

   Yesterday the military showed some of its muscle when it praticised artillery gun salutes in downtown Albert Park ahead of today's Fiji Day celebrations. 

   They've not previously praticised and coincidentally right next door in the Government Buildings the High Court, which was briefly disrupted by the gunfire, was hearing an opening submissions in a case in which Mr Qarase and his Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua party are challenging the legality of the military take-over. 

   Commodore Bainimarama has refused to appear as a witness to explain his reasons for staging the coup.

Copyright: Michael Field