ABC Radio Australia

08/04/02

FIJI:Fiji parliament votes to abolish death penalty

 In Fiji, the Parliament has unanimously voted to abolish the death penalty.

 The vote comes after a highly controversial sitting.

 Debate on the death penalty came hot on the heel of a High Court ruling convicting George Speight for treason and sentencing him to death. The death penalty was later set aside by the president and replaced with a life sentence. During debate on the bill, Fiji's Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale said the bill was to remove sections of the penal code that imposed the death penalty. Mr Bale also requested the speaker to cut short debate on the bill given that parliamentarians were raising the same issues a request that was declined by the speaker. Before the final vote was taken, opposition parliamentarian Mick Beddoes moved a motion to amend a provision in the BILL to include life sentence without parole. The motion was however defeated on voices. The debate on the death penalty had its moments particularly when prime minister Qarase led a walkout of his government side last week following claims by an opposition MP that Qarase was involved in the 2000 coup. The bill will now go before the Senate before it is effected.