Fiji orders out Australian and NZ diplomats

FIJI'S military ruler yesterday gave the top diplomats from Australia and New Zealand 24 hours to leave the country.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama and the governments of Australia and New Zealand have been at loggerheads since the two regional powers led condemnation of the military leader's 2006 overthrow of the elected government.

The latest spat is over a group of expatriate judges from Sri Lanka that Fiji wants to hire to replace some of those fired by Bainimarama's administration in a power grab earlier this year.

Australia and New Zealand told the judges this week that if they take up the posts in Fiji they would be subject to travel bans the two countries have placed on all senior officials in Bainimarama's government because of the coup.

"I cannot understand why Australia and New Zealand are engaged in dishonest and untruthful strategies to undermine our judiciary, our independent institutions and our economy," Bainimarama said yesterday.

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