PEOPLE'S COALITION GOVERNMENT, FIJI
Regime has no authority to change entrenched legislation – FLP
Issue No: 421 28 January 2001
The Fiji Labour Party has cautioned the interim regime and asked it to stop trying to change entrenched legislation.
The Party's National Council, which met at Nadi over the weekend, heard that the regime was attempting to change
entrenched legislation like those concerning land. Participants agreed that any such change was illegal because not only
does the regime have no authority to change any entrenched legislation under the provisions of the legislation, but also
because the regime itself is illegal. The members warned that anyone acting on the basis of any change brought about by
the regime will be risking his investment because the changes are illegal and have no effect in law.
The members also heard the plight of the farmers being evicted from their land and dispossessed. Rural representatives
informed the meeting that farmers did not wish to accept residential leases because of the continuing harassment from
the villagers and demands for material goods.
The meeting decided to follow-up on the undertaking given by the President for another meeting after the first meeting
between the People's Coalition Government and the President held last year. The meeting heard that the President had
promised to hold another meeting within two weeks, but the President's permanent secretary then, Luke Ratuvuki, had
continuously frustrated the efforts to get the second meeting off the ground.
END 28 January 2001