FLP rejects sacked a/g PM

Date: 27 May 2000

The People's Coalition Government understands that Ratu Tevita Momoedonu,
Minister for Labour, has this afternoon agreed to a proposal of His
Excellency, the President. This proposal involves the invoking of sections
106 and 99 of the Constitution to enable the President to appoint Ratu
Tevita as Acting Prime Minister.

We wish to advise that the Government's position of rejecting the proposal
was made abundantly clear to Ratu Tevita. It was also communicated directly
to the President's Office well in advance of the President's press
conference this afternoon.

Ratu Tevita had absolutely no mandate to make a commitment on behalf of the
Government. Accordingly, any agreement entered into by him, on a personal
basis, has no authority, legitimacy or validity. It is in direct breach of
the official position of the Government.

The President's proposal was unequivocally rejected by the Government on the
grounds that it was clearly intended to pave the way for the dismissal of
the Prime Minister, the dissolution of Parliament and the establishment of
an alternative, appointed Government. The Government made clear to the
President that it could not accept such a proposal because it would
effectively legitimise the overthrow of a constitutional and democratically
elected Government by the group of terrorists led by Speight; and that it
would pave the way for the participation of these terrorists in government.

The People's Coalition Government maintains that any action that has been
taken by the President since the swearing in of Ratu Tevita as Prime
Minister is therefore unconstitutional. We insist that no settlement outside
the Constitution is acceptable to us.

ENDS

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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