Fiji’s military ruler said today the country’s president had overthrown the constitution because appeal court judges tried to “force” the nation into elections under the old race-based voting system.

Fiji's president assumed control today and fired the judges who a day earlier had declared the military government illegal, deepening the troubled South Pacific country's political turmoil.

Fiji’s military ruler today refused to buckle to demands that he hold democratic elections this year, saying he would stick to his own timetable even if it meant facing sanctions.

Fiji’s military ruler says it could be 10 years before he relinquishes power - offering a defiant challenge to South Pacific leaders as they meet to press him into restoring democracy.

Fiji’s military ruler withdrew today from a dialogue with a regional bloc that is pressing him to return the country to democracy, casting further doubt on his promise to hold elections next year.

Fiji's military ruler today said he was expelling New Zealand's top diplomat, sending relations between the two South Pacific nations spiralling even lower.

Fiji’s military ruler today said he was lifting a state of emergency imposed on the country when he seized power in a coup six months ago.

Fiji’s military-led government rejected demands today from its South Pacific neighbours that it return the country to civilian rule within two years, saying elections could not be held for at least three.

Fiji’s military ruler today announced he would call elections in 2010 to restore parliamentary rule in the coup-prone South Pacific country.

Fiji’s military, which seized power in a coup in December, could rule the South Pacific country for as long as five years before restoring democracy, a delegation of regional officials has been told.

Fiji’s military regime today took the unprecedented step of halting all meetings of the nation’s powerful council of indigenous chiefs – accusing it of failing to accept that the military now controls the affairs of the South Pacific nation.

Fiji’s military leader today asked his countrymen to accept that his regime has executive control of the nation, and said there is no going back to the corruption of the past.

Fiji’s ousted prime minister today said the South Pacific country was sliding toward “the worst kind of dictatorship”, and offered to hold talks with the military regime to find a way to restore democracy as quickly as possible.

The Fijian prime minister ousted by a coup will return to Suva early next week despite the risk of arrest, his spokesman said today.

Promised elections to restore democracy to Fiji after this week’s coup could be more than two years away, the military-installed prime minister said today.

Fiji’s military ruler declared a state of emergency today, one day after seizing power, the country’s media has reported.

Fiji was facing the prospect of suspension from the Commonwealth today after a military coup was staged in the South Pacific island.

Fiji is likely to be suspended from the British Commonwealth and its former colonies later this week in response to a coup, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said today.

The military coup in Fiji today has “raped our constitution” and will send the south Pacific country’s tourist-dependent economy crashing, the ousted prime minister said.

Fiji’s military commander said today he has taken control of the country from the elected government.

Troops entered at least two police compounds in Fiji and grabbed weapons today in the apparent first step towards seizing control of the south Pacific country.

The military commander threatening to topple Fiji’s government said today he was planning to appoint an interim civilian administration and hold elections to restore democracy.

Troops stayed in their barracks as a threatened coup deadline in Fiji passed on Friday, with the country’s defiant military commander enjoying a day at a sporting event while the prime minister left the capital and went into hiding.

Crisis talks between Fiji’s elected leader and its defiant military commander ended today without an agreement on averting a coup, but the prime minister said “substantial” progress had been made on issues that divided them.

FIJI’S prime minister clashed with the military on the eve of a racially charged election in the unstable South Pacific nation after the armed forces chief urged his troops yesterday not to vote for the government.

Fiji’s army locked down its main barracks and conducted shooting practice today amid rising tensions between the military and the South Pacific country’s nationalist government.

The leader of a bloody army mutiny in Fiji was jailed for life today. Captain Shane Steven stood expressionless when his sentence was announced.