President Sworn In, Urges Reconciliation

Fiji’s new president, a frail and elderly tribal chief, was sworn in today and urged reconciliation in the ethnically divided island nation that had been paralyzed by a two-month hostage crisis. Ratu Josefa Iloilo took the oath of office in a stately residence overlooking the harbor of the capital, Suva, before an audience that included nationalist coup leader George Speight. Meanwhile, New Zealand announced penalties against Fiji and warned of stiffer sanctions if the new leadership does not commit itself to restoring multiethnic democracy.