As Pacific Island leaders start off their talks on Fiji in Niue this hour, New Zealand (NZ) Prime Minister (PM) Helen Clark said she will push ahead to ensure parliamentary democracy returns to Fiji by March 2009.
Clark said she is not surprised with Commodore Frank Bainimarama's comments that NZ is taking a hostile approach in trying to pressure to get Fiji to have elections at any cost.
She said the matter is now very serious as Commodore Bainimarama does not want to engage in any talks.
“I simply take the view of anyone who disagrees with the way he’s handling his government in Fiji. The problem at the moment is we can’t see an end. We can’t see any end because the Commodore won’t engage on a process which would get through to elections. And then the ability to have some proper and more full consensual consideration of the path ahead for Fiji.”
Clark said people will just have to wait and see what the Pacific leaders will decide about Fiji today.
“Well I think that it’s best to come out of the retreat. I think people have run out of patience and they will be looking to communicate that pretty clearly.”
In a statement that was supposed to be presented by Commodore Bainimarama in Niue today, he said Fiji's relationship with the Pacific Forum is now at an impasse, if not a crossroad.
He said the Forum is inflexibly insistent in its demand that an election be held in Fiji by March 2009, come what may.
Bainimarama said the commitment to the March 2009 date was the position that he was compelled, against his will, to agree to at the last Forum meeting in Tonga.
The Interim PM said this commitment has now acquired a life of its own.
Commodore Bainimarama stressed that he is committed to having a general election in Fiji under a fair electoral system based on equality, ethnic integration, tolerance and cooperation between the communities in Fiji.
He said we need an electoral system based on a common roll and equal vote for all voters.
Bainimarama said that the interim government will no longer tolerate the racist, divisive, undemocratic and unfair electoral system under which Qarase and his group want to be re-elected.
