News is all bad for Fiji's rugby fans

By EUGENE BINGHAM

The voice of rugby for thousands of Fijian fans stood worlds away from the venue of his country's sporting clash with Samoa yesterday afternoon.

Captain Howard Politini would normally have been commentating Fiji's rugby match with its Pacific Island neighbour in Apia. Instead, he was holed up in Suva as a spokesman for the military team involved in talks with coup leader George Speight, who is holding Fiji's democratically elected Government at gunpoint.

Captain Politini, who played rugby for Counties while living in New Zealand during the early 1970s, is one of thousands of Army reserves called up for duty to deal with the crisis.

For 80 minutes yesterday afternoon, however, the country's radios were tuned into something other than news of the coup. Listeners should not have tortured themselves.

If proof was needed that all is not well in the state of Fiji, the rugby team ended their unbeaten run this season, losing 17-31.

Far more importantly, the nation's future and the safety of deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his fellow MPs dangled in the balance.

Talks that last week looked as though they would lead to the release of the hostages today wobbled over the weekend, with Speight accusing the military of breaching good faith and the Army making a strong public attack on the rebel group.

Lieutenant-Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini made a speech to the country on radio pleading for Fijians to stand firm.

"This is the time for us to stand up and defend the democracy we believe in," he said, calling for a non-racial constitution in which "each man is created equal in the eyes of God."

During a television interview last night on Close Up, the Fiji TV programme that angered rebels last week and led them to trash the station, Colonel Tarakinikini said he understood the frustrations of the people who supported Speight.

"When I first walked into the parliamentary complex, I saw people and identified with them."

Speight had told the impoverished people of Fiji he could save them, but Colonel Tarakinikini said he did not believe this.

"They have said they will champion their cause and they will achieve it. I don't think so."

But tensions between the parties were not evident yesterday as Speight and military ruler Commodore Frank Bainimarama met at the Army headquarters for day-long talks.

During breaks, Speight appeared relaxed, playing for cameras and interacting with soldiers.

On Saturday, though, Speight said the military had changed its position by trying to retain executive authority over and above whatever interim government the Great Council of Chiefs chose.

He then issued 10 demands, which the Army said were outside the agreement reached last week. The demands included the installing of Speight ally Ratu Jope Seniloli as President, immunity from prosecution for all crimes associated with the coup, including the murder of policeman Filipo Seavula, and Speight supporters to be in the government.

Signs of the divisions within Fiji were evident on Saturday when chiefs in the western division rallied near Nadi and called for the establishment of a separate government.

Meanwhile, Auckland lawyer and self-proclaimed troubleshooter Chris Harder arrived in Suva last night, though he said he would not necessarily become involved in the standoff.

"I am here to get a police clearance for an immigration client back in New Zealand," said Mr Harder, who has tried to resolve problems at other hotspots, including the 1997 kidnapping in Lima, Peru.

"Of course, to speed up the clearance I might have to solve the other matter first."

George Speight talks to IRN's Barry Soper

(10 min).