Fiji orders expulsion of Australia, NZ envoys

SUVA, Fiji (Reuters) - Fiji coup leader and self-appointed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama on Tuesday ordered Australia and New Zealand recall their envoys within 24 hours, accusing them of interfering in its internal affairs.

Bainimarama said he had ordered the expulsions because Australia and New Zealand had interfered with Fiji's judiciary and the travel of new judges from Sri Lanka.

It was not immediately clear what interference he was referring to, but the new judges would need to travel via either Australia or New Zealand. Bainimarama is bringing judges from Sri Lanka after sacking the judiciary this year.

"It is for these reasons ladies and gentleman that I have told the ministry for foreign affairs to issue communications to the Australia and New Zealand governments that their respective heads of missions have to be recalled within 24 hours," he told a news conference in Suva.

"I have also informed them that our high commissioner in Australia is to be recalled with immediate effect," he said.

Fiji, which has suffered four coups and a bloody military mutiny since 1987, was plunged into a fresh crisis in April after the president reappointed coup leader Bainimarama as prime minister, less than two days after a court ruled the military leader's 2006 coup and subsequent government was illegal.

Bainimarama then dismissed the country's judiciary and many public servants and imposed complete censorship in Fiji.

Australia and New Zealand, two of Fiji's major aid donors and trading partners, have been critical of Bainimarama and have called on him to hold fresh elections as soon as possible.

The Commonwealth said in September it had suspended Fiji after the nation failed to meet a deadline for opening talks on a return to democracy.

Bainimarama, who had promised an election this year, has now ruled it out until 2014.

(Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by Mark Bendeich)