Coup leader bungles ceremony

An appeal was made for the army to hold off

In an effort to legitimise his new administration, Fijian coup leader George Speight has held a ceremony in parliament to swear in his new ministers.

However, the event, which was broadcast live, did not go exactly as planned.

Mr Speight entered parliament with an escort of nine hooded guards, carrying semi-automatic assault rifles and pistols.

He wore a black sulu, or traditional skirt, and a light blue shirt.

Speight: Denied mistreating Chaudhry

He was sworn in as prime minister, along with several of his ministers, by his alternative president, Josefa Seniloli Nacabalavu, a local Bau chief.

During the ceremony, Mr Speight brought deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry into the chamber.

Mr Speight, an indigenous Fijian, is holding Mr Chaudhry - the country's first ethnic Indian prime minister - and a number of ministers hostage.

"This move and this desire by the indigenous people of Fiji will be one where the supremacy of their self-determination will be cemented once and for all," he said.

'Bashed'

Reports said he then forced Mr Chaudhry, who was handcuffed, to kneel on the floor of parliament.

Chaudhry: Refused to co-operate, even with a gun to his head

As the swearing-in ceremony continued, Mr Chaudhry could be heard shouting loudly: "We are not legitimising anything."

Mr Speight called for security and there were sounds of a scuffle as Mr Chaudhry was removed.

In the words of one observer, he was "hauled off and bashed".

Mr Speight was reported to have earlier held a gun to Mr Chaudhry's head and threatened to kill him unless he called on President Sir Ratu Kamisese Mara to order the military to move away from the parliament.

Fiji TV reported that Mr Chaudhry told Mr Speight to go ahead and shoot.

It fell to Mr Chaudhry's Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tupeni Baba, to appeal for the army to hold off, saying he and his colleagues were in danger of their lives.

"In a nutshell, we believe that the army must not be allowed to intervene offensively," Mr Baba said in statement read with Mr Speight and Mr Chaudhry at his side outside the parliament building.

Mr Speight later said that any reports that Mr Chaudhry had been mistreated were "scandalous".