Fiji army chief refuses to rule out new coup

SUVA, Nov 8 (Reuters) Fiji's defiant military chief refused to rule out overthrowing the South Pacific island nation's government after delivering a series of demands today amid fears of a fourth coup in 20 years.

Commander Frank Bainimarama, who threatened last month to remove Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase if he did not drop two contentious pieces of legislation, said he would prefer to negotiate a settlement to a crisis which has dragged in regional neighbours Australia and New Zealand.

Asked by Reuters in Fijian and English what he would do if the government failed to meet his demands, Bainimarama said: ''We'll go back at them''.

Bainimarama also said he did not hold much hope for a meeting of the Great Council of Chiefs, the representatives of Fiji's 14 chiefly provinces who are the nation's ultimate powerbrokers, called for tomorrow to resolve the crisis.

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