Samoa's prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, has criticised the Fiji military regime for it passing a decree granting itself immunity from prosecution.
Tuilaepa has told the Savali newspaper that the move by the regime led by Commodore Frank Bainimaram is an admission of guilt and is straight out of an aspiring dictator's rulebook.
The Fiji immunity decree applies to a list of so-called political events of the last decade, including the coups of 2000 and 2006 and the incomplete probe of the extra-judicial killings in the aftermath of the 2000 mutiny.
Tuilaepa says the decree is predictable as the regime is digging in for the long haul after it did away with the constitution and sacked the judiciary.
He added that decrees were the vices of dictators, such as the Mugabes, the Hitlers and the Mussolinis of this world.
Tuilaepa also says Fiji can hold free and fair elections next month if Commodore Bainimarama wants to.