Commonwealth Secretary General Kamlesh Sharma said a broad based political dialogue is a necessity for Fiji, if Commodore Frank Bainimarama's interim government wants to move the country towards democratic processes.

He made the comment after Commonwealth envoy Sir Paul Reeves' visit to the country last week to lay the ground work of a meeting of political leaders to discuss electoral reforms.

Sharma told PACNEWS at the margins of the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, that although he has not seen Sir Paul Reeve's report, he hopes that there are elements in his report that will help set the way forward for Fiji.

He said the interim government has undertaken to hold elections in March next year which should be respected. Sharma said as a means of getting there, they believe that a broad based political dialogue of all parties in Fiji is a necessity.

Fiji's membership of the Commonwealth of Nations was suspended after the events of December 5th, 2006.

Meanwhile, it was earlier confirmed that the work of the President’s Forum to discuss the electoral reforms is expected to start next month.