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Concern over situation in Fiji

ALOFI (Niue): Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Wednesday expressed “serious” concerns over Fiji’s absence at this year’s PIF summit, urging its interim government to honour its commitment to hold elections by March 2009.

The leaders, coming from 15 of the 16-member regional organisation in the Pacific, reaffirmed in a communiqué on Fiji the importance of maintaining and encouraging continued pressure from the forum and other members of the international community to meet the deadline.

It was at last year’s summit that Fiji interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama pledged to hold fresh elections by the end of March 2009 under the rules of the current Fiji constitution.

Cmdr. Bainimarama, who seized power in a coup in December 2006, seems have back-flipped and said fresh polls would not be held until the adoption of a “People’s Charter,” which would require big political and constitutional changes in the nation, including an end to communal voting.

He announced his country was pulling out of this year’s PIF summit, triggering concerns among his fellow PIF partners who are expected to discuss with him face-to-face at the summit about the election process. Reaffirming the readiness of forum members to continue to assist Fiji prepare the election, the PIF leaders acknowledged there are long-term issues that need to be addressed in Fiji, including through independent and inclusive political dialogue. — Xinhua

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