(Coup) Help Wanted
One sign that the coup you just carried out isn't actually supported by anyone other than your troops that backed you is when you have to run advertisements in the newspapers looking for people to fill the cabinet. That is exactly the situation that Frank Bainimarama, the army leader who just overthrew the elected government of Fiji, finds himself in. He's running ads looking for people with no criminal records.
"Applicants must be of outstanding character and without any criminal records," the advertisements noted, asking aspirants to submit applications at military headquarters by Tuesday. "Each must not have been declared bankrupt."
"The deadline indicates the urgency in trying to get qualified people in to help in the running of the affairs of the state," Maj. Neumi Leweni, a military spokesman, told state-owned Fiji One News television. He added that the posts of finance and foreign affairs ministers would not be advertised.
Bainimarama's hand-picked interim leader, Maj. Jona Senilagakali, took over the prime minister's office for the first time Friday, arriving with an armed military guard. Some top government officials have been reappointed, the Fiji Times newspapers reported, including the chief executive officers for tourism and agriculture.
I can honestly say that I have never heard of anything like this. It really doesn't look much like Bainimarama actually had any real popular support for his actions. Or all that much of a plan before he did it much beyond taking over.
World news | Gaius Saturday, 9 December , 2006
