Fiji was plunged into political limbo on Friday as President Ratu Josefa Iloilo revoked the constitution and sacked the Court of Appeal judges who declared the military government illegal, according to reports from the capital Suva.

In an address to the Pacific island nation, Iloilo said he believed that the regime of strongman Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, who had ruled since seizing power in a bloodless coup in December 2006, had "performed extremely well, brought up new ideas, reforms and improved the lives of the ordinary people", the Fijivillage website reported.