The native Fijian coup makers didn't complain about the fairness of last month's election, only the results that put the Indian majority in power.

If the coup makers had prevailed, ventured Roman Barkhatov, 24, the best man, "things would have been worse."

Four law lecturers at Thammasat University issued a statement condemning the coup makers for "disrespecting the will of the people".

Plotters With Credentials In general, the coup makers' remarkable ineptitude was the stuff of endless conjecture.

"History will condemn him to death," the principal coup maker, Gamal Abdel Nasser, assured his colleagues.

Jaja Wachuku added that by the time coup makers got to number three, he would be resting in his village.

"The popular sympathy was with the coup makers."

Warner attempted to form a government in exile in Ivory Coast to challenge the coup makers.

But the military's centuries-old role of political arbiter of last resort - or coup maker - is never far from discourse.

Although the military governed Peru from 1968 to 1980, most analysts interviewed here this week said they did not believe that the coup makers intended to hold power long.