12 Aug 2004

Fiji's CCF asks chiefs to make jailed president resign

4:20 pm on 12 August 2004

Fiji's Citizen Constitutional Forum or CCF is pressing the Great Council of Chiefs to force Vice President Seniloli to step down.

Seniloli has started a four year prison term for taking an illegal oath to commit a capital offence when he tried to usurp the presidency during the coup.

But he has refused to resign, and remains on full salary and the perks of office from behind the bars of Suva prison.

The Executive Director of the CCF, the Reverend Akuila Yabaki, says the situation is unjust and there are grounds for his removal which are written in the constitution.

"The implication is clear enough. One that he's unable to perform the functions of office because he's now a prisoner having been sentenced by the court to serve four years for criminal offence of administering unlawful and treasonous oaths, and secondly, alternatively, he can be removed on the grounds of quote, misbehaviour, because that word is actually in the relevant section of the constitution."

The Executive Director of the CCF, Reverend Akuila Yabaki