Nationalist leader in Fiji sworn in

Suvu (Fiji): Laisenia Qarase was sworn as the prime minister of Fiji on Thursday, a day after the military chief warned him not to spare the participants in the 2000 coup.

Qarase, who will start a second, five-year term, took his oath of office at Government House in the capital, Suva, shortly after election officials confirmed his Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party, won 36 seats in the 71-member Parliament following May 6-13 parliamentary elections.

Qarase said earlier he also had secured the written commitments of support from two independent lawmakers, which would give him a majority of 38 seats.

The opposition Fiji Labour Party, led by former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, an ethnic Indian who was ousted in a 2000 coup by armed Fijian nationalists, won 31 seats in the tightly contested election.

Labour has the support of two lawmakers from the allied United Peoples' Party.

"I do command the respect, loyalty and support of a majority of members of the lower house of representatives," Qarase said before the ceremony in the colonial-era mansion overlooking Suva harbor.

He was sworn in by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.

Qarase said he expects to swear in a new Cabinet on Monday.

There was no immediate comment from Chaudhry.

Earlier Thursday, the country's military chief, who has repeatedly criticized Qarase for his moves to pardon participants in the 2000 coup, urged independents to side with Labour and accused Qarase of plotting to replace him.

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"Labour will do the right thing and take away all these radical issues," Commodore Frank Bainimarama said.

He added that he had heard rumors Qarase could sack him and replace him with a New Zealand military officer

"That is not going to happen," he said.

"The Fiji military is not going to allow that."

However, New Zealand denied Bainimarama's claim.

"New Zealand has received no such request from the Fiji government and the provision of a New Zealand military commander is therefore not under consideration," Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defense Minister Phil Goff said in a joint statement.

"We are very aware of the disagreement that currently exists between the Fiji military commander and the Fiji government. However this is a matter that Fijians themselves need to resolve. New Zealand would not want to take any action that would further complicate that situation," Peters and Goff said.

Fiji, a South Pacific nation of about 900,000 people spread over 110 inhabited islands 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) northeast of Sydney, Australia, has been rocked by three coups since 1987 and there are fears the latest elections could trigger another.

Indigenous Fijians make up a small majority of the population but in recent years nationalists have become increasingly bitter at what they see as the disproportionate political and economic clout wielded by a minority of Fijians, such as Chaudhry. descended from Indians whose ancestors were imported by British colonialists to work in sugar cane plantations.

Qarase told reporters he was prepared to meet Bainimarama in a bid to clear the air.

"We'll need to tackle the issue as early as possible," he said.

"But we hope that issue, the differences will be resolved without too much problem."

Asked if he felt threatened by Bainimarama, Qarase said "I don't feel threatened by anybody, only God."