Speight cynically uses his followers as camera fodder for the media and as human shield if the military decides to attack. But as Speight hogs the flashlights, Fiji grinds to a halt. International trade bans are a reality. The tourist trade is non-existent. Schools and colleges are closed.
People are worried about their future ability to feed their families.
Shops, factories and hotels are starting to lay-off workers. The widow and her three children of the murdered police officer continue to grieve for a father and husband who s not coming home. And the hostages wait in fear, not knowing if they will be allowed to live. What Speight is offering Fiji is a dangerous brew of racial hatred that threatens to divide the country. Chaudhry is the second successive Prime Minister from the Western Districts to be toppled by an Eastern Division led coup.