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Fiji plans reform of 'divisive' electoral system
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-19 14:20 ALOFI, Niue -- Fiji's coup leader told South Pacific governments Tuesday his country needs their support as it reforms ahead of promised elections, but warned it would proceed without them if necessary. Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Fiji's self-appointed prime minister, announced Monday he would boycott this week's annual Pacific Forum summit, complaining that Fiji was being pressured to hold elections too soon.
In a statement sent to 15 other government leaders attending the summit, Bainimarama said if the forum continued to insist on Fiji holding elections in March 2009, then "I will be compelled ... to tell the people of my country that they must now be prepared to suffer more sanctions, and international isolation as we pursue ... a better, more durable democracy." The coup leader had agreed at last year's forum to hold elections by March 2009, but earlier this month postponed the plan. In his statement he said his government still had to deal with what he termed a "racist, divisive, undemocratic and unfair electoral system." "(Fiji) will hold the election as soon as possible, and we need the Pacific Forum to support the process we are following," Bainimarama said in his message to the summit, but did not offer a time frame. "However, should you not be able to extend your support, we will carry on with the road map (of reforms) to which we are committed," he said. The armed forces commander blamed his absence from the forum on New Zealand, which imposed travel restrictions on members of his military government who planned meetings in Auckland this week with aid donor governments from outside the forum. |
