Qarase sworn in as new prime minister

(10 Sep 2001)
1. Vehicles arriving at President's house
2. Close-up of the Fiji flag
3. Laisenia Qarase getting out of car
4. Wide shot of Boron House, where ceremony was held
5. Presidential advisors entering building
6. Security outside
7. Wide shot of prayers being said for new government
8. Laisenia Qarase (on right) with wife, Leba Lareti (left)
9. Wide shot of prayers
10. Various of Laisenia Qarase sitting praying
11. Two Members of Parliament praying
12. Wide shot of photo opportunity
13. Various of photo opportunity with Laisenia Qarase on left and President Ratu Josefa Iloilo on right
14. Wide shot of Laisenia Qarase approaching podium
15. Cutaway of media
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Laisenia Qarase, Prime Minister of Fiji:
"I feel privileged and honoured to be appointed prime minister. I feel humbled by the tremendous support that has been shown to my party in particular and to other parties as well, by the people of Fiji."
17. Cutaway of media
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Laisenia Qarase, Prime Minister of Fiji:
"Fiji should have a fairly stable government during the next five years and beyond and we would welcome investors both from within Fiji and of course from outside."
19. Wide shot of news conference, tilts up to show president's house
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Laisenia Qarase, Prime Minister of Fiji:
"I've made it no secret that I would be happy if he does not accept."
21. Close-up of Laisenia Qarase's hands
22. Qarase talking to advisors then leaving - walking past camera
STORYLINE:
Indigenous Fijian banker, Laisenia Qarase, was installed on Monday as Fiji's new prime minister.
The appointment has returned the racially divided Pacific nation to democratic rule, 16 months after a nationalist coup toppled its last elected government.
Caretaker prime minister since the May 2000 coup, Qarase, was sworn in by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo at Government House, a sprawling colonial mansion overlooking Suva lagoon.
After the brief, low-key ceremony, Qarase said, "I feel privileged and honored to be appointed prime minister."
Qarase continued by saying Fiji, "should have a fairly stable government during the next five years and beyond."
The new prime minister's indigenous Fijian-dominated Cabinet was expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.
His appointment effectively gives the hardline nationalist coup plotters what they were demanding - a return of political power to indigenous Fijians.
Qarase's Fijian United Party, or SDL, won 31 seats in Fiji's 71-seat parliament.
On Monday he was still in the process of finalising a coalition agreement with a group of six moderate lawmakers.
Last year's coup ousted Mahendra Chaudhry, the first prime minister from Fiji's 44-percent ethnic Indian minority.
Indians were first brought to the country in the 19th century to work in sugar cane fields.
Many indigenous Fijians, who make up 51 percent of the country's 820-thousand people, believe the ethnic Indian minority wields too much political and economic clout.
Chaudhry's ethnic-Indian dominated Fiji Labor Party, took 27 seats in recent elections - well short of a majority and 10 fewer than its 1999 winning tally.
However, under Fijian law, any party winning more than eight seats must be offered Cabinet posts and Labor could complicate the government's formation by taking up a number of Cabinet jobs.
Qarase said he would be happy if Chaudhry did not accept an invitation to join the government saying the government would become "unworkable" if he does.
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