THE State of Emergency declared by the interim administration on December 5 ended on February 4 according to a legal notice gazetted on February 12 by the Government.
According to the Government Gazette Supplement the State of Emergency Regulation 2006 was proclaimed on December 5, 2006 for a period of 30 days and was extended for another 30 days on January 5.
Yesterday, Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said clarification was needed to make people understand that there was a Public Emergency Regulation in place. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, had made the Public Emergency Regulation in pursuant of the Public Safety Act, which came into force on February 5.
Ratu Josefa stated that the Public Emergency Regulation will be valid for 30 days and maybe extended if it seemed necessary.
According to the emergency regulation, the Commissioner of Police had the power to maintain public safety and had the authority to stop any meeting, assembly if he thought it was dangerous, despite the fact that they had already been granted permission for it.
"Any police officer or any member of the armed forces, if in his or her opinion such action is necessary for public safety, after giving due warning, may use such force as he or she considers necessary, including use of arms, to disperse procession," said Ratu Josefa.
He also said any person who organised a procession, meeting or assembly, in contravention of an order under the provisions of this regulation, shall be guilty of an offence.
Another interesting regulation of the Public Emergency states that "any person who attempts or does any act calculated or likely to cause mutiny, sedition or disaffection among members of the armed forces, Fiji Police or the Fiji Prison Service, any fire brigade, or among the civilian population or to impede, delay or restrict any measures taken for securing or regulating any essential service will be guilty of an offence."
"Any person who is guilty of an offence under these regulations shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for any terms not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment," said Ratu Josefa.
