The Coup of 2006
Disgruntled by two bills before the Fijian Parliament, one offering amnesty for the leaders of the 2000 coup, the military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama asked prime minister Laisenia Qarase to resign in mid‑October, 2006. The prime minister attempted to sack Bainimarama without success. Australian and New Zealand governments expressed concerns about a possible coup.
On 4 November 2006, Qarase dropped the controversial amnesty measures from the bill.
On 29 November New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters organised talks in Wellington between prime minister Laisenia Qarase and Commodore Bainimarama. Peters reported the talks as "positive" but after returning to Fiji Commodore Bainimarama announced that the military were to take over most of Suva and fire into the harbour "in anticipation of any foreign intervention".
Bainimarama announced on 3 December 2006 that he had taken control of Fiji.
Bainimarama restored the presidency to Ratu Josefa Iloilo on 4 January 2007, and in turn was formally appointed interim prime minister by Iloilo the next day.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Fiji