In an attempt to ease the growing tension between Fiji's government and military, the New Zealand government arranged a meeting between the Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and army commander Commodore Bainimarama, Malaysia Sun reported on November, 28 2006. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase had asked the Pacific Islands Forum last week to intervene after Bainimarama threatened to overthrow the government of Fiji with a military coup. The current government of Fiji was established after the 2001 elections. A coup would be the third in Fiji since the country gained independence from Britain in 1970.

However, the New Zealand government's attempt to initiate talks between the two men, and the recent visit of British and Australian High Commisioners and the US ambassador to the military camp in Suva were met with reluctance in Fiji. Army spokesman Major Neumi Leweni likened the visit to an invasion, hinting at the sovereignty concerns created by the regional attempts to resolve the dispute. Similarly,Citizen for Peace , the Fiji NGOs' coalition, stressed the need to resolve the issue through the country's own institutions without resorting to regional intervention, which would threaten the country's sovereignty and the rule of law. -- Basak Candar, Legal Assistant, Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP,Washington.