Elections Not Likely In August - Diplomat

Issue No: 881 25 June 2001

A diplomat believes that the regime will not hold new national elections in August.

The US' Suva Embassy head of Political Affairs, John Hennessy has been quoted by a journalist as saying that the August elections will not be held. The journalist James Heartfield writes: "In August John Hennessy is coming back to Fiji, with lots of his friends, mostly Australians and New Zealanders. They are going to monitor the elctions on behalf of the United Nations (elections that Hennessy thinks will never happen".

Hennessy is leaving Fiji after completing a 3-year term here.

Another veteran journalist, Robert Keith-Reid has also hinted that there may not be an election in August. "What's the betting that there will be an election this year?", Reid concluded his Sunday Times column yesterday.

Meanwhile the Qarase regime is continuing to use public funds to campaign for the next election.

There is also a court challenge to the legality of the Qarase regime, and the decision to call for an election without convening the Parliament as required by the Constitution.

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