Fiji PM and Labour Party leader meet
Talks are being held today between the Fiji prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party,
Mahendra Chaudhry, about forming a multi-party coalition government.
Mr Qarase wants to have a government in place by Monday.
Walter Zweifel reports.
“Labour held a caucus meeting last night and further discussions were held today to consider a response to Mr Qarase’s
overture. Yesterday, Mr Qarase took Fiji by surprise by offering Labour seven significant ministries in his proposed
cabinet only hours after being sworn in. Mr Qarase has been meeting his MPs this morning ahead of the first face-to-face
encounter of the two main leaders. He has already said his government will introduce several bills that Labour has
opposed in the past. But Mr Qarase says the new Reconciliation and Unity bill will be acceptable to all the military
except possibly to its Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimara, who has vowed to stop it. In Suva I’m Walter Zweifel”