Fiji 'to end' martial law
Military ruler says emergency laws to be lifted this week and consultations on new constitution to start in February. - Fiji's military ruler Commodore Frank Bainimarama has announced that emergency laws in place since a 2009 political crisis will be lifted this week. In a New Year speech, Bainimarama also said consultations would start in February on a new constitution to replace one annulled in 2009, at the height of a political crisis over his rule. "I will in the next few weeks announce the nationwide consultation process which will commence in February 2012," Bainimarama said on Monday. "To facilitate this consultation process, the public emergency regulations will cease from 7 January, 2012." He said, adding that the new constitution should be based on equal rights for all Fijians, regardless of ethnicity.