Wellington - Former Fiji prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who was ousted in a military coup nearly two years ago, has filed an appeal against a High Court ruling that his overthrow was legitimate, according to reports Wednesday from the capital Suva. Qarase said that the court's judgement last month would encourage further coups in the South Pacific island state, which has seen elected governments overthrown four times since 1987.
He said that the ruling had far-reaching consequences for Fiji and any nation menaced by a military with aggressive political ambitions.
The head of Fiji's military, Commander Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, took control of the country from Qarase's elected government in December 2006 and has ruled since, refusing demands by the European Union, United States and other aid donor nations to hold fresh elections by March.
Bainimarama said that Qarase's government was corrupt and pursued racist policies favouring indigenous Fijians, who outnumber the ethnic Indian minority in the population of about 932,000.
Qarase and five other members of his former government said that they wanted foreign judges appointed to hear the appeal.
Meanwhile, reports said that the High Court had approved an application by Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to take action for contempt of court against the Fiji Daily Post for publishing a letter criticizing the court's judgement on the coup.
Similar action over the same letter signed by a man said to be living in Australia was taken against the Fiji Times, and Solicitor- General Christopher Pryde said this week that he would ask the High Court next month to send the editor and publisher to prison.
Pryde told the court that the Attorney-General was not satisfied with a front-page apology and admission of contempt by the Fiji Times and its offer to pay costs.
The Australian publishers of the Fiji Times and the Fiji Sun newspaper were deported from Fiji earlier this year.
