Jana Mlcochova
Suva (Fiji), Nov. 3: Fiji's military ruler on Tuesday gave the top diplomats from Australia and New Zealand 24 hours to leave the country, deepening a rift between the island nation and its biggest South Pacific neighbours.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama and the governments of Australia and New Zealand have been at loggerheads since the two regional powers led condemnation of the military leader's 2006 overthrow of the elected government in a bloodless coup. The latest spat is over a group of expatriate judges from Sri Lanka that Fiji wants to hire to replace some of those fired by Commodore Bainimarama's administration in a power grab earlier in 2009. Australia and New Zealand told the judges that if they take up the posts in Fiji they would be subject to travel bans the two countries have placed on all senior officials in Commodore Bainimarama's regime because of the coup.
"I cannot understand why Australia and New Zealand are engaged in dishonest and untruthful strategies to undermine our judiciary, our independent institutions and our economy," Commodore Bainimarama said. "I can accept their ban on me and my senior officers given the personalisation of matters. But why punish individuals both Fijians and non-Fijians who join the judiciary?" He said he had instructed the foreign affairs ministry to let the Australian and New Zealand governments know "that their respective heads of mission are to be recalled within 24 hours". Australian high commission denied it had tried to block the Sri Lankans from taking up posts in Fiji. -AP
