Fiji's military-backed Prime Minister said yesterday he would consider giving nationalist rebel supporters a larger role in his government if it would resolve the country's nine-week long political crisis.
Mr Laisenia Qarase said he was going ahead with his 32-member government announced on Tuesday, despite threats by rebel leader Mr George Speight of further civil unrest if his supporters are excluded from key cabinet positions.
But Mr Qarase said he could be flexible if it would end the political and economic crisis triggered on May 19th when Mr Speight and his gunmen stormed parliament and took ethnic Indian Prime Minister Mr Mahendra Chaudhry and other politicians hostage.
"If there is a change [proposed] in the line-up, depending on the people involved and if it resolves the entire problem, I certainly would have to look at it," said Mr Qarase.
He said he could quit if he felt unable to serve with certain members of the new government, which would rule for the next two years before fresh elections.
"I'm willing to carry on, but I would have to review my position depending on the composition of the line-up," Mr Qarase added. The rebels, who held Mr Chaudhry and members of his government hostage for 56 days, have demanded Mr Qarase's resignation and a more dominant role for supporters in the new administration.
They want to break the political power of the ethnic Indian minority, who comprise 44 per cent of Fiji's 800,000 population and who dominate the sugar- and tourism-based economy.
Mr Speight freed Mr Chaudhry and his remaining hostages on July 13th when the military agreed to his group's demands to entrench indigenous Fijian political power.
Mr Chaudhry's People's Coalition has demanded that his multi-racial government be reinstated. Mr Chaudhry, the first ethnic Indian Prime Minister in Fiji, suggested the United Nations might be called on to hold a referendum on what government Fijians want.
"One of the best ways to resolve the situation would be to have a UN-supervised referendum, whether they [the people] want the government back or they don't want the government back."
Mr Qarase held urgent talks with new President Ratu Josefa Iloilo earlier yesterday as Mr Speight pressed his demands again.
"The final objective [of the May 19th coup] to be fulfilled is the right government with the right people," Mr Speight said.
Asked if he was expecting a totally different line-up from the interim government announced on Tuesday, Mr Speight replied: "I am."