The Fiji military commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, is not attending a special session of the Great Council of Chiefs, the GCC, called to deal with the impasse between the military and the government.
Linda Skates reports.
"Commodore Bainimarama is refusing to attend the GCC meeting, because he says it sits only when it suits the government's agenda. The decision not to show up follows his bitter criticism of the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, who he accused of lacking integrity and judgement. The commander says Mr Qarase allowed coup perpetrators to go free and called on him to remove from government those involved with the 2000 coup. The prime minister is denying the allegations and says he's never interfered with the legal process. The army commander also called on Mr Qarase to dump two controversial bills, one of which had planned to offer amnesties for those convicted over the coup. The Great Council of Chiefs, which supported both bills, will discuss whether changes are needed."
