Fiji's military leader fears for democracy

SUVA, Fiji - Stymied in attempts to free hostages held inside parliament, Fiji's new military ruler said Wednesday it might be years before democratic elections could be held.

The military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, accused rebel leader George Speight of dodging talks on releasing the captives he has held for 13 days.

''They keep avoiding the issue,'' Bainimarama said.

But Bainimarama ruled out force to end the standoff, saying, ''we have to think of the lives of the hostages.''

Speight has achieved most of his aims - the removal of Fiji's president and prime minister, the scrapping of the constitution, and a promise of amnesty for himself and his supporters.

But Speight, who says he represents the majority Fijians against the minority Indians, told an Australian TV interviewer he would keep the captives ''for as long as is necessary.''

He called the hostages' ''discomfort'' a small price to pay for the injustices done to Fijians.

Fijians of Indian ancestry make up 44 percent of the population of 813,000 on the Pacific island, but control much of the nation's commerce in this country 2,250 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia.

Speight on Thursday challenged the nation's new military leaders to come to the parliament building and listen to him and tribal chiefs before making any more decisions about how to end the crisis.

''They really haven't had the talk, the confrontation, the dialogue with the people that we have had,'' he said.

Speight wants Fiji's tribal chiefs, who hold no constitutional power but are highly respected in the country, to play a major role in the appointment of a new government.

Bainimarama on Wednesday named an interim prime minister, Ratu Epeli Neilatikau, whose wife is among the captives as is the prime minister at the start of the crisis, Mahendra Chaudhry.

The military leader, however, said he would postpone the formation of a civilian government. He later said he would not name new ministers until the hostages are freed.

A military spokesman, Lt. Col. Filipo Tarakinikini, said that even after the hostage crisis ends, the military leaders might have to consider what to do about forming a new government.

''We may run a much more efficient administration with the military,'' Tarakinikini said.

Bainimarama said an interim government would draw up a new constitution and prepare for new elections but warned that the process could take up to three years.

Speight said after talks Wednesday night between his representatives and the military that the concept of a military government being in place in Fiji until a new constitution could be written was unacceptable.

''These types of things can take two years, sometimes up to five years,'' Speight told local radio. ''It is not a concept that we support.''

Bainimarama told a news conference in the capital, Suva, he had personally guaranteed that Speight and six gunmen who stormed parliament on May 19 would receive amnesty.

As Bainimarama spoke, armed supporters of Speight stoned cars and beat their drivers in the capital outside the Parliament complex. Police and soldiers did little to stop them.

The violence seemed to target Fiji's Indian minority. Men armed with automatic rifles and others carrying clubs and knives dragged drivers out of their cars, robbed them and took the vehicles.

Fearing the violence in Suva, the Mormon church said Wednesday it had evacuated its 65 missionaries from the city and sent them to the west side of Fiji as a precautionary move. That is one-third of the church's missionaries on the island, spokesman Dale Bills said from Salt Lake City.

One hostage was released Wednesday for her sister's funeral. The woman left the parliamentary complex flanked by two police officers only after promising to return once the ceremony was over. It was not immediately clear if she returned.