Despite the strained relations between Fiji and our neighbours Australia, there are indications that the Australian government is recognizing efforts by the interim government to move towards holdings elections in the country.
In a statement, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the Australian government has now agreed to allow Fiji to increase its diplomatic presence in Australia through the appointment of an Acting Fiji High Commissioner in Canberra and the appointment of a Fiji Consul General in Sydney.
Smith said the appointment is designed to improve diplomatic communication between Australia and Fiji and follows on from the recall by the interim government in Fiji of its previous High Commissioner in July 2007.
He said the fact Fiji has appointed a Supervisor of Elections is enough reason to allow the interim government to fill key positions in Australia however he stressed that Australia remains very concerned about the situation in Fiji and recent statements by Commodore Frank Bainimarama that elections will not take place until the electoral reforms and the People’s Charter are put in place.
Smith also said Australia recognizes that, in addition to an election, a political dialogue, without any preconditions, is vital to address Fiji's long term issues and encouraged lasting national reconciliation and stability.
However, he stressed that an election cannot be conditional upon progress on a political dialogue or other processes, as holding elections by March 2009 was Commodore Bainimarama's faithful and unconditional commitment to the Pacific leaders last year.
This comes only days after Fiji pulled out of the Forum Working Group and Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama expressed disappointement that Australia and New Zealand had not accepted Fiji diplomats in their country while they continue to pressure the interim government to hold elections as soon as possible.
"They have an acting New Zealand High Commissioner here. They’ve never accepted our acting Fiji High Commissioner in New Zealand. We have a full-time Australian High Commissioner here in Fiji. They’ve not accepted a Fiji High Commissioner in Canberra nor a Trade Commissioner in Sydney. We think it’s very unfair of these two countries to do this to us. So we thought we just get away from the forum working groups. It’s a waste of time for our senior officers and we don’t think it’s going to do us any good until these two nations become genuine in their efforts to help us and then we might think about going back and joining the forum working group and telling them where we’re going." Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
