Samoa PM accuses Fiji of dirty tricks in constitution process

Posted at 02:55 on 10 January, 2013 UTC

Radio NZ reports that Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says amid Fiji’s constitution controversy, the military regime is fooling nobody as it has no intention of relinquishing power and ushering in a democratically-elected government.

Speaking to Savali News, Tuilaepa says the military leaders are using dirty tricks to engineer a constitution that will save their skin.

He says the shredding and torching of constitutional draft papers by police in front of the head of the Constitution Commission is a despicable act of intimidation.

Tuilaepa says most democratic countries know a lot more about constitutional processes than the inexperienced military gang in Suva.

He says any constitution has to be widely consulted and commented on in the public arena.

Samoa’s prime minister notes the silence of Fiji’s interim prime minister, urging him to come out and show some maturity, saying he has had six years to prepare for elections promised for next year.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand