PEOPLE’S COALITION GOVERNMENT, FIJI
Suva, Fiji Islands
NEWS RELEASE January 2, 2001
The substantiative President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, has not formally resigned from his post.
The Qarase regime two weeks ago had claimed that it had received a letter from the President informing it of his decision to resign from the Presidency with effect from 29 May 2000.
The announcement to the effect that Ratu Mara had resigned was made by the interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s office.
But many had remained skeptical of the Qarase announcement.
First, despite the demands from the media, the regime did not produce a copy of the resignation letter.
Second, under law and custom, any resignation from the post would have to be communicated not to the interim PM’s office but to the Great Council of Chiefs.
GCC Chairperson, Sitiveni Rabuka, informed the media that he had not received any resignation letter. But pro-Qarase political...