Coup: Fiji army chief says he's the boss

Suva, Dec 2: Fiji's defiant military ruler declared he is the boss in the South Pacific country as the Prime Minister returned to the capital today, a day after his cabinet went into hiding over concerns of a coup.

The pair have been embroiled in a power struggle for the past two months, and the threat of a fourth coup in 20 years has prompted neighbour Australia to send three warships to Fiji in case it needs to evacuate holidaying nationals.

''I'm the one that will set the deadline not him, or maybe he wants to be the commander,'' Commander Frank Bainimarama told the Fiji Sun newspaper today, referring to a deadline to ''clean up'' the government which lapsed yesterday.

''I am his boss,'' he said.

Embattled Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase had said the ultimatum was extended until midday on Monday. He said he was prepared to return to discussions brokered this week by New Zealand but called on Bainimarama to make his intentions known publicly.

The original deadline passed without incident yesterday as the nation stopped to watch a rugby match between the police and army, two of the key protagonists in the crisis.

Qarase unexpectedly returned to Suva today after taking his family to a luxury resort on Vanua Levu, Fiji's second largest island. He met Vice-President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi for about 15 minutes before leaving Madraiwiwi's residence without comment.

''It would greatly assist in calming fears and uncertainty among the people and in restoring confidence in the economy, if you could make a public statement that the military has no plans to resort to the use of force or to act outside the law,'' news Web site www.fijilive.com quoted Qarase as saying.

Bainimarama has repeatedly threatened to remove Qarase's government unless it drops three pieces of legislation, including a bill that would grant amnesty to those involved in a 2000 coup.

UNRELENTING PRESSURE

Last week he issued Qarase a list of ''non-negotiable'' demands and at the same time threatened a ''clean-up campaign'' against the government if they did not give in. Qarase bowed to most of those demands, including suspending the three bills.

But Bainimarama is still not satisfied and accuses Qarase of having people associated with the 2000 coup by armed indigenous nationalists in his government and high public offices.

Fiji has suffered three coups and a bloody but unsuccessful mutiny, during which Bainimarama was almost killed, since 1987.

Bainimarama installed Qarase as interim leader in a bid to put down the 2000 coup but now accuses him of being too soft on those behind it and the failed mutiny linked to it.

The capital Suva remained calm on Saturday although trucks carrying armed soldiers in full battle gear were still occasionally seen.

Residents stockpiled goods from supermarkets on Thursday and Friday in anticipation of the crisis dragging on and there were long queues at cash machines.

With South Pacific neighbours as well as the United States, Britain and the United Nations all warning him to uphold the law and the constitution, Bainimarama has also said Fiji's military would defend itself against any possible foreign intervention.

REUTERS