FIJI: COUP LATEST: AGREEMENT SIGNED

(9 Jul 2000) English/Nat

The military commander of Fiji and a rebel leader have signed an agreement to end a seven-week-long hostage crisis.

And this time there is hope it will succeed.

The agreement calls for coup leader George Speight to release all 27 remaining hostages, including the prime minister he ousted in a takeover of Fiji's Parliament building.

The rebels are to surrender their weapons, and Fiji's influential tribal chiefs - the Great Council of Chiefs will choose a new government.

George Speight's coup aimed to weaken the power of ethnic Indians in Fiji, who dominated the ousted government.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who became head of state when the military seized control just 10 days after the coup, signed the agreement first.

At the other side of the table was the coup leader, former businessman George Speight who signed next.

Although the hostage release is days away and any deal could still unravel, there was a general hope that the agreement would hold.

Speight and his rebels have never before signed an agreement despite weeks of intense negotiations.

Under the deal, Speight's 27 hostages, including deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, will be released on Thursday before a meeting of influential tribal chiefs.

The rebels also will turn in their weapons.

The Great Council of Chiefs, made up of about 50 tribal leaders from across Fiji, will meet to select a new president, vice president and a new interim civilian government to guide Fiji back to democracy.

The council cannot meet before Thursday because some chiefs have to travel from remote islands.

The military has also said it will offer amnesty to all those involved in civil disturbances since the beginning of the coup.

The coup's aim was to weaken the power of ethnic Indians in Fiji, who make up 44 percent of the population but dominated the ousted government.

Many of Speight's demands have already been met by the military, including deposing Mahendra Chaudhry, the first Fijian of Indian ancestry to lead the country.

They also scrapped the multiracial 1997 constitution.

The signing represented victory for Speight, who stormed Parliament with six other gunmen May 19 saying he wanted more power for indigenous Fijians.

Speight's supporters, who gathered on Sunday to witness the signing ceremony, were pleased with the terms of the agreement.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I'm happy. The impasse is over. And we are ready to move on to a new Fiji!"
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

They were optimistic that life in Fiji would soon return to normal.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It's very good for tonight and I hope it'll give us some progress maybe this week everything should be okay"
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

The military returned to the negotiating table following a wave of civil unrest in the country.

Local landowners shut down the largest island's main hydroelectric power station.

Other villagers blocked the main road linking the capital Suva with Nadi, where the international airport is located.

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