The Pacific Island Forum Ministerial Contact Group has welcomed significant progress made by Fiji since they last visited in April last year including important and significant efforts to prepare elections by 30th September 2014.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said these include the approval of Fiji’s Constitution last year, the registration of four political parties, the enrollment of more than 540,000 voters including Fijians living overseas and the appointment of an independent Electoral Commission.
McCully said these steps taken by Fiji have been recognised by them.
He said the Ministers also looked forward to the early appointment of the Supervisor of Elections and the early release of the Elections Decree and legal framework for elections.
McCully said the Contact Group emphasised that it would be in Fiji’s interests that the election be judged on its openness and fairness according to accepted international standards.
He said in welcoming the progress the Ministers agreed to recommend to Forum Leaders that Fiji be invited to participate in PACER Plus negotiations and Forum Trade Ministers Meeting at ministerial level.
McCully also said NZ will continue to relax the travel sanctions.
Meanwhile Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the travel sanction policy is still under review.
Bishop held the first ever bilateral talks between Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama since December 2006 yesterday.
She said the meeting with Commodore Bainimarama went for an hour, running overtime but he was engaged and laughed a lot.
Bishop said during the meeting she outlined to Commodore Bainimarama Canberra’s extensive new policy program towards Fiji.
She told The Weekend Australian that they want to normalise relations ahead of an election.
Bishop said she wants Australia to be the partner of choice in the Pacific and there is an opportunity with their new government to start afresh.
Bishop also said that during the meeting late yesterday afternoon, Commodore Bainimarama discussed the election process, and indicated he was prepared for whatever role resulted, even if he were to lose the prime ministership.
She said he also talked about a range of post-election scenarios.
Bishop presented Commodore Bainimarama with a jersey of the West Coast Eagles AFL team, signed by its ethnic Fijian star ruckman Nic Naitanui.
Story by: Filipe Naikaso
Contact Group welcomes significant progress towards elections
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