Frank Bainimarama

"If we dont put our foot down, they will release every man and his dog."

"All the nation has been saddened by the extent to which the country has fallen during the last week. I have therefore, with much reluctance, assumed executive authority."

"You have to give it (the tiger) room. If you dont give it room, it will bite you."

"If we dont act, this country is going to go to the dogs and no investor will want to come here."

"When we wrong God, he does not let us go, he makes us pay for our wrongs but through the death of his own son Jesus Christ. When Gods people (Jews) wronged him, he weakened them in battle and caused them to be captives in Babylon for 70 years."

"Lets do right in the eyes of God!"

"Our Fiji today is a new Fiji where individual freedom is protected and not a Fiji solely for Fijians. Wise decisions from this august house will promote multiracial harmony and true friendship."

"Coups will be taken lightly if we condone this Bill, without justice there is no peace. If you honourable chiefs agree that those involved in the coup be forgiven, it will prove that we support the wrong and will be at odds with the integrity of God."

"This Bill is not about crime committed within one group of people but involves many races living in Fiji. Therefore we can not apply one law onto another. We need to protect the whole population; the different faiths; cultures and traditions."

"The Bill will legitimise the 2000 coup and will weaken the law and order agencies. All the good work of rebuilding Fiji to what it is today will be undone. The freeing of anyone (even if their crimes are politically-motivated) will show to the world that we are a nation that condones law breakers. It also means that we support terrorists as the Police Commissioner has commented."

"Why should only a few people be freed and not others when we are all serving under the same law?"

"We will maintain our stand despite criticisms." (on being told by Downer that the international community would not be happy about the Militarys intervention in the political arena)."