Elections in Fiji is set for 2014.

Fiji’s Acting Prime Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said the Fijian government is committed to that date following NZ Foreign Minister, Murray McCulley’s comments that NZ will only lift travel bans on Fiji when the government gives a firm commitment or cast iron assurance that the country will go to the polls in 2014.

Kubuabola said Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has time and again emphasized his commitment to the election timeline in 2014.

He said the timeline remains and nothing has changed.

Kubuabola said NZ just does not want to recognize nor understand that Fiji needs to give its people a fair and just electoral system that makes up the multiracial country of Fiji.

He said this cannot be achieved overnight.

The Acting Prime Minister also said earlier this month, the Indonesian Electoral Commission visited Fiji and briefed the government on their voting system.

He said this is indicative of the steps taken by the Fijian government towards elections.

Kubuabola asks what more cast-iron assurance this can be for NZ or any other country for that matter.

Meanwhile NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully said a relaxation of travel bans against Fiji would be required soon if the Fiji government gives a firm commitment to elections in 2014.

The NZ Herald said McCully also remains hopeful that the Rugby World Cup would act as a carrot for the Fijian government to give a cast iron assurance in return for lifting the travel ban in time for the tournament.

McCully said Fiji is yet to deliver any hard evidence of progress to elections in 2014, but it is now “closer than it was before”.


Story by: Vijay Narayan