Fiji PM alters bill after military threats

SUVA, Nov 4 (Reuters) Fiji's prime minister appeared to bow to threats from the military when he said today that a key amnesty provision had been cut from proposed legislation amid a standoff which has raised fears of a coup.

As the military chief who threatened to remove him arrived back in Fiji, Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said provisions that would have granted amnesties to perpetrators of a May 2000 coup had been dropped from his reconciliation and unity bill.

''I want to say that quite categorically now that there is no longer an amnesty provision in the new bill. It is a changed bill, substantially changed,'' he told reporters in the capital.

The bill containing the amnesty provision was one of two pieces of legislation military commander Frank Bainimarama had warned Qarase three weeks ago to drop or be removed from office.

A week ago Qarase vowed to ''deal with'' the outspoken military chief but the military in turn rebuffed an attempt by Qarase to replace Bainimarama.

The standoff had raised fears of a fourth coup in the South Pacific island nation since 1987, although both Qarase and the military have played down the risk of more upheaval.

Qarase denied he had dropped the amnesty clause to appease the military, saying it had been cut because of constitutional concerns.

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