Fiji's Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has abolished the country's Sugarcane Growers Council. It's the latest move by the country's military backed leader to sideline political forces that appear to be opposed to the ideals of his military backed regime. It comes just a week after he limited the ability of the country's Methodist Church to raise funds, saying it is to involved in national politics.

After tourism, the second biggest economic earner for Fiji is sugar. The majority of growers are Indo-Fijian, and most of them have been traditionally represented by the Fiji Canegrowers Association, which itself is closely tied to the Fiji Labour Party, reflecting the political beliefs of most of the Indo Fijian population. But now the association is no more.

And while Commodore Bainimarama has told Radio Tarana an association, he as Sugar Minister has abolished, still has a role, in a country where the constitution has been scrapped, and laws are being made by decree, the National Farmers Union, and the Fiji Labour Party, are unconvinced.

Mahendra Chaudry is a former Prime Minister, who is the general secretary of the Farmers Union, and the President of the Labour Party. Mr Chaudhry has also rejected the commodore's statement that growers will be better served by dealing directly with the Fiji Sugar Corporation, when selling their product. The abolition of the grower's council has also raised concerns about how that will affect the long term viability of the industry.

The refusal of the interim government to hold elections means the European Union has suspended its subsidies, and by the end of the year Fiji will lose its preferred access to those markets. Over the past 20 years the number of growers has dropped by at least a quarter, and in at least the past two season, the FSC has struggled to meet its promised supply levels. Mahendra Chaudhry says this latest decision won't help. RA Online/Pacific Media Watch, 21/08/09.