2009 Fijian constitutional crisis

The Fijian constitutional crisis of 2009 began on Friday, 10 April 2009. Fijian President Ratu Josefa Iloilo announced on a nationwide radio broadcast that he was abrogating the Constitution of Fiji. He dismissed all judges and constitutional appointees and assumed all governance in the country after the Court of Appeal ruled that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was illegal. Iloilo reinstalled Bainimarama as PM and his Cabinet members to their positions. He also instituted emergency rule which increased police powers and allowed media censorship.

On Thursday, 9 April 2009, the Court of Appeal, the second highest in Fiji, issued a ruling stating the illegality of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, which removed the government of Laisenia Qarase from power, replacing it with military rule. The court also called the interim government established in January 2007 "invalid." The ruling legally dissolved the current parliament.

The Court of Appeals ordered President Iloilo to appoint a "distinguished person" to act as a caretaker Prime Minister and oversee the dissolution of parliament. The court further ordered that Iloilo was forbidden from appointing either current Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama or former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as the caretaker.

The Court of Appeals ruling "prompted" the Prime Minister to step down from power. Iloilo had sworn Bainimarama into office in January 2007. Bainimarama immediately reverted to his former position as army commander. His cabinet also resigned after the court's ruling.

President Iloilo issued a statement the following day saying, "I hereby confirm I have abrogated the 1997 constitution and appointed myself as head of state in the new order." Iloilo immediately assumed all political power in the country.

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Wikipedia