end rivalry

Fiji

Govt denies Placer report

THE Fiji government has denied giving Placer Pacific the go ahead for the Namosi Copper Mines, as reported by Radio Australia last month. The radio quoted local authorities saying “they’re anxious Fiji doesn’t experience similar problems to Papua New Guinea where landowner dissatisfaction closed the giant copper mine on Bougainville in 1989.

Fiji’s assistant director of mines Abdul Rahiman told the Daily Post that Placer Pacific had in fact been given a fresh exploration licence for the area surrounding the copper deposits, the future site of the mines. ★ ★ ★

Indian parties

end rivalry

FIJI’S two main opposition parties, the National Federation Party (NFP) and the Fiji Labour Party (FTP), have ended years of bitter rivalry to jointly fight a by-election. Following talks between NFP leader Jai Ram Reddy and FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry it was announced that the two parties would jointly field a retired school teacher, Munsami Chinnakannu, to contest the Labasa Indian seat.