George Speight committed on treason charges

SUVA - Fiji coup leader George Speight and 12 associates have been committed to stand trial on treason charges for overthrowing Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister and his multi-racial government in May 2000.

Treason carries the death penalty in the South Pacific nation but capital sentences are generally commuted to life.

Fiji's chief magistrate yesterday referred the case to the High Court for August 31 - in the closing stages of the country's first post-coup election.

The decision comes after Speight's defence and the prosecution agreed to abandon an often delayed committal hearing and go straight to trial.

"I am going to defend my client to the best of my ability and this is where the real ball game starts," said Speight's lawyer Marc Michel Gumbert, from Australia.

Speight has not denied toppling prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry in the name of indigenous Fijians, but says he should not be prosecuted under an immunity deal with the military.

The immunity deal was reached in order to free Chaudhry and most of his multi-racial cabinet, who were held for 56 days by Speight, but the military says the failure of Speight and his men to surrender all their weapons voided the immunity deal.

The coup brought to the surface simmering racial tensions between indigenous Fijians and Fiji's ethnic Indians.

The descendants of Indian indentured labourers make up about 44 percent of the 800,000 population and dominate local business, but their economic clout has not been matched by political power.

Fiji's general election remained on track for August after the High Court dismissed an appeal to bring back the parliament toppled in last year's racially-inspired coup.

Justice Michael Scott found that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo acted "on the grounds of necessity" when he dissolved parliament, dismissed Chaudhry and installed a caretaker government.

"I don't believe it would be reasonable to turn back the clock to pre-May 19, 2000," Scott said in his ruling. "I therefore rule that elections go ahead as planned in August."

Scott's decision contrasted with a Court of Appeal decision in March which stated that the military-backed government was illegal, that the pre-coup parliament had not been dismissed and that the 1997 multi-racial constitution remained valid.

Chaudhry reacted angrily.

"In any democratic, self-respecting society, the first duty of the courts is to uphold the rule of law and not justify extra constitutional actions on the grounds of necessity where it does not apply," Chaudhry said in a statement.

But the High Court ruling meant writs were expected to be issued for the August 25 ballot, with voting across Fiji's far-flung islands expected to take a week.

More than 20 political parties have been registered.

Chaudhry is still leading the mostly ethnic-Indian Labour Party and faces a challenge from caretaker prime minister Laisenia Qarase, an indigenous Fijian, who has built up significant support since being installed by the military.

Chaudhry also faces a split with his own former deputy, Tupeni Baba, an indigenous Fijian held hostage by the rebels but who set up a rival New Labour Party earlier this year.

Former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who led two racially inspired coups in 1987, may also run again for office.

- REUTERS

Feature: the Fiji coup

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