Friday, July 25, 2008

Chaudhry for PM, Commodore for President

Speculation is mounting that the current impasse in Fiji was over a bigger plan which would have seen the Commodore become the President and Mahendra Pal Chaudhry taking over the Prime Ministership.
 
NZ PM Helen Clarke speculated yesterday that this was the "next step in the coup."
 
Additionally, reports that the Military Council is divided over the plans are very likely also true. It is learnt from reliable sources placed within the decision making loop that the Military Council have tried and failed in an an earlier effort to depose Chaudhry. This was when the reports of the $1.6 m held in Chaudhry's accounts were published by the Fiji Times.
 
Commodore was able to persuade the MC to hold fire as there was still some value in having MPC around especially as the Aid Agreement with the European Union and ACP countries was still unresolved.
 
The Bottled Water crisis has once again raised the ire of the MC, in particular the legal advisor who is very close to the Attorney General.
 
Aiyaz Khaiyum is bitterly opposed to Chaudhry and his son after Rajendra Chaudhry launched a scathing attack on FICAC which the AG saw as a personal attack on him. Aiyaz Kaiyum is also the son of a former NFP parliamentarian and reports indicate that the there is a lot of bad blood.
 
What is worrying some members of the MC is that the Commodore is being used to pursue these personal agendas and that one of their own is involved in these personal agendas. Col Aziz's visit to Chaudhry's office was not sanctioned by the MC or by PM.
 
Stay Tuned.
 
 

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