Indigenous Fijian rebels, who held the deposed prime minister, Mr Mahendra Chaudhry, hostage for two months, warned yesterday of further unrest if their choices for a new government are not met.
The rebel spokesman, Mr Jo Nata, said nationalist supporters could "escalate" previous protest actions by occupying key infrastructure operations or blocking major roads if their demands are ignored.
"We are serious about what we did," Mr Nata said of the coup on May 19th, started in the name of indigenous rights, against Mr Chaudhry, the country's first ethnic-Indian prime minister.
"We've come too far to compromise, so much so that we may not be able to control our people if the wrong people are put in government," he said. There has been speculation the government will include two ethnic Indians.
After weeks of wrangling, the military last week struck a deal with the rebels, led by a businessman, Mr George Speight, which saw Mr Chaudhry and 17 other hostages released after 56 days' captivity.
The military gave in to almost all the rebels' demands, which are aimed at enshrining indigenous Fijian power and stripping ethnic Indians of a political role.
Mr Chaudhry on Saturday called for the reinstatement of his coalition government, saying otherwise Fiji would be bowing to an act of anarchy.
But Mr Nata said that would be impossible as the multiracial constitution which had enabled Mr Chaudhry's election had now been abrogated.
"Apart from being impossible for them to be reinstated, the indigenous people of Fiji will not allow that reinstatement," he said. "Chaudhry should count [himself] lucky that he came out unscathed . . . He should be thankful."
A new civilian government is expected to be announced this week by the rebel-backed President, Mr Ratu Josefo Iloilo.
The US and Australia are to hold talks on isolating Fiji diplomatically and economically should the country's coup, aimed at setting up an apartheid-like state, succeed.
The US Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, said yesterday in Sydney that Washington would look to Australia for leadership on how to handle the aftermath of the coup in the Pacific island nation.
Mr Cohen said he would discuss the situation in Fiji, including the imposition of sanctions, with the Defence Minister, Mr John Moore, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, today.
