The four women among the 31 hostages being held by the extreme nationalist Fijian leader, Mr George Speight, rejected an offer of freedom at the weekend because they did not want to desert the remaining captives, their husbands said yesterday.
As the stalemate that began as a coup attempt, but has since developed into a wider crisis of national identity, ended its 17th day yesterday, the husbands said they had asked to exchange places with their wives, who are cooped up in the parliament compound in the capital, Suva.
"We have written a letter to Mr Speight asking that the four of us husbands swap places with them so they can enjoy some freedom," said Mr Adishwar Padarath, the husband of a deposed cabinet minister, Ms Lavinia Padarath. Mr Speight has not yet replied.
Mr Robert Rigamoto, the husband of the assistant minister, Ms Marieta Rigamoto, said that he feared he would never see her again. "The longer this goes on, the more I fear for her safety," he said. "Not from an assault, but on the spur of the moment one of the gunmen could turn round and do something silly."
The other two women hostages are Ms Adi Koila Nailatikau, a minister, and Ms Akanisi Koroitamana, an MP. An aide to Mr Speight said the women should no longer be considered hostages because they had refused to leave. "They cannot say they are hostages from now on because they are here as voluntary supporters of their colleagues."
The other woman captured when the rebels seized the parliament on May 19th, Ms Adi Ema Tagicakibau, was freed last Thursday to attend a relative's funeral and was told she did not have to return to captivity.
Fiji's military rulers and the rebels said yesterday that they had reached a draft accord to end the crisis and restore the South Pacific country to civilian rule.
"We are coming to the end now," a military spokesman, Lieut-Col Filipo Tarakinikini, said.
Mr Speight agreed: "We have come up with a draft accord, a document that captures the essence of our discussion. I do not want to put any specific timetables on this [process] except to say that we're well on the way now."
The main sticking point of the accord remains the composition of any interim government after the release of the hostages, in particular the involvement of Mr Speight's supporters and the armed forces. The military want to retain control for a period after the release of the hostages.
Mr Speight's self-styled Taukei Civilian Government wants executive control of the country passed from the military to the indigenous tribal leaders, the Great Council of Chiefs, before it will release the hostages.
Mr Speight admitted that while the hostages appeared to be in good physical health, "perhaps emotionally they have endured stress".
Armed rebels in the Solomon Islands are rumoured to have taken the prime minister hostage in what could be another coup attempt in the South Pacific, Australian radio said early today.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official said a militia group known as the the Malaita Eagles moved into the capital early tpofay andf took over a number of installations.
Australian telecoms company Telstra said its international operators were getting the recorded message: "Out of order until further notice" on lines to the Solomon Islands.
"It ids very early stages and an evolving situation...but it appears some members of the Malaita Eagles Forces have secured Honiara, " the Foreign affairs official said,.