Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said if he is considered a dictator for the work his government is carrying out, than most of the countries in the region have dictators.

Speaking on the ABC's Foreign Correspondence program with Philipa McDonald, Commodore Bainimarama stressed that his government is not going around abusing its powers.

Meanwhile, Pacific island leaders have been urged today to keep talking to the Fiji government, despite its suspension from the region's main political grouping, the Pacific Island Leaders Forum which is currently underway in Vanuatu.

In his opening address, Vanuatu Prime Minister Edward Natapei, the incoming head of the 16 member Pacific Islands Forum said he was concerned about Fiji's breaches of democratic rule and human rights.

But Natapei said as leaders of Pacific island nations we have a duty and responsibility to remain engaged with Fiji so that democratic principles and practices can be restored in Fiji as soon as possible.
 
And New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has told Radio New Zealand that while dialogue would continue with Fiji, sanctions such as the Pacific Island Forum suspension needed to continue.

Mc-Cully said the Forum is a club with some rules, and those rules are about democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and unfortunately we haven't been able to get Fiji to acknowledge that.

The Pacific Islands Leaders Forum continues in Vanuatu with the Leaders Retreat tomorrow.


Story by: Roneel Lal
Source: ABC News