Purported Change of Heart
On 15 September 2004, a source close to the Fijian government revealed that Speight had renewed his faith in Christianity during his imprisonment. According to the source, Speight's faith had led to a change of heart towards the Indo-Fijian community, and that he wished to participate in the upcoming Fiji Week, a series of prayer meetings and multicultural programmes aimed at reconciling Fiji's ethnic communities, planned for the week of 4 October through 11 October. "He now feels inspired by the word of God and would like to take part in the week of reconciliation," the source told the Australian Associated Press. This request for permission to leave his island prison to take part in the observances was refused, however. At a more personal level, a spokesman for deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that on principle, —provided that he reveal the identities of the persons who had planned and financed the coup. So far, no evidence has been revealed by Chaudary as to who these financiers were despite making these claims. Police Commissioner, Andrew Hughes has castigated Chaudary for making unfounded claims and indigenous groups have labeled Chaudary's outburst as an attempt to discredit the "indigenousness" of Speight's coup to cover his own shortcomings as a Prime Minister.
Read more about this topic: George Speight
Famous quotes containing the words change and/or heart:
“Indeed, I thought, slipping the silver into my purse ... what a change of temper a fixed income will bring about. No force in the world can take from me my five hundred pounds. Food, house and clothing are mine for ever. Therefore not merely do effort and labour cease, but also hatred and bitterness. I need not hate any man; he cannot hurt me. I need not flatter any man; he has nothing to give me.”
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)
“The Heart asks Pleasure—first—
And then—Excuse from Pain—”
—Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)