Fiji military chief warns Prime Minister

Fiji's military head, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, has warned Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase that the Government will have to resign if it loses a crucial Supreme Court case in June, a senior officer said.

The warning comes as fears abound of a new coup or unrest, following the 2000 coup that brought down the Government of Mahendra Chaudhry, Fiji's first ethnic Indian Prime Minister.

Laisenia Qarase later won a general election but refused to allow Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party into the Cabinet, as required by the constitution.

In lower courts Chaudhry successfully claimed constitutional provisions allowed him in Government through a multi-party Cabinet.

The Government has taken the case to the Supreme Court, which will hear it on June 18.

Should the court uphold Chaudhry's case, Qarase would either have to invite Chaudhry into the Government or resign and call fresh elections.

Bainimarama, who still wields power, has told Qarase he would have to resign, the officer said.