Let us make a pledge now to help Fiji through this very important next stage of its journey. We can do this by promising to be patient, calm and tolerant and by respecting the views of others, even if we disagree with them.

Iloilo was at the time of his retirement as the President of Fiji 88 years old and there had for a long time been speculation about the state of his health. He called on Fijians to seek God's wisdom to find the way forward for the nation and said he considered prayer to be "as important to our nation as breath is to our lives". It was planned all along that he would look after Bainimarama and strengthen the regime and no justice would be done.

However his powers were restored by Bainimarama on 4 January 2007. This followed failed attempts on Iloilo's part to mediate a solution to the long-running impasse between the military and the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. After Fiji's Court of Appeal had ruled that the removal of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and the appointment of Fiji's interim regime following the military coup in 2006 was unlawful on April 10 2009 Iloilo dismissed the judges and abrogated the country's constitution.