New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark said she does not know how to deal with people like Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama after he announced that Fiji will not attend this week's Pacific Islands Forum in Niue.
Clark told TVNZ that she is concerned that Bainimarama is not keeping his promise to have elections under the current electoral system by March 2009.
Earlier...
SDL Maintains Stand On Changes
The Ousted Prime Minister and Leader of the SDL Party maintains that they will not support any electoral changes without a parliament sitting.
Laisenia Qarase said while the Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama is entitled to his opinion about changes to the electoral system, he should know that constitutional changes are needed to make these major amendments.
The Interim Prime Minister has stressed that nothing and no one will stop the interim government from seeing the electoral changes through before the next general elections.
When questioned by Fijivillage on what the interim government would do in light of the opposition by the political parties in relation to the proposed changes to the electoral system, Commodore Frank Bainimarama said Fiji will definitely have a new voting system.
The Interim Prime Minister has also stressed that the Pacific Forum cannot decide on whether Fiji's electoral system needs to change.
Nothing or No One Can Stop Us
The interim Prime Minister has stressed that nothing and no one will stop the interim government from seeing the electoral changes through before the next general elections.
When questioned by Fijivillage on what the interim government would do in light of the opposition by the political parties in relation to the proposed changes to the electoral system, Commodore Frank Bainimarama said Fiji will definitely have a new voting system.
“If you will listen to what I have said, we said that even with opposition from Australia and New Zealand, we are adamant in moving forward, so there’s nothing that’s going to stop us”.
The interim Prime Minister had also stressed that the Pacific Forum cannot decide on whether Fiji's electoral system needs to change.
"It’s is more important for Fiji to agree on a better way forward under the People’s Charter then just having an election in March 2009 under the current seriously flawed and undemocratically electoral system. Pacific Forum cannot decide for Fiji on this issue. At the Presidents Dialogue forum we should agree to change the electoral system, legally and constitutionally, and in a bodily acceptable world that is support by the majority of the people of Fiji. Once we agree on the change and how it is to be done, then we can also agree on the date of the election and how soon we can have it. Under the new electoral system, according to the Independent Electoral Commission it will take at least another 12 to 15 months to prepare for the election. That is why I have said that the most practical date for the general election under the new system cannot possibly be March 2009".
