Fiji military tightens grip on power

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.

Military strongman Commodore Frank Bainimarama said while the indigenous Great Council of Chiefs had been allowed to meet despite the nationwide state of emergency in place, they “failed to understand the reality” on the ground”.