Ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has stressed to the Forum Ministerial Contact group the need for elections to be held in Fiji by March 2009 under the current electoral system.
After a meeting, which ran for about 90 minutes, with the delegation at the Forum Secretariat Qarase said his stance that elections must be held by next March would not change.
“Basically it is all to do with elections next year and a few other issues,” Ousted PM Laisenia Qarase said.
“ In terms of the election next year I reiterated to them what I’ve said so many times before - that the interim government made the promise to hold the elections by March 2009. The promise was made by the interim Prime Minister himself and he should honor that promise,” he said.
“ The promise was made to the Pacific Island Forum leaders, it was to the international community and it was made to the people of Fiji.
“ And the second promise is that the election will be held under the 1997 Constitution and I reiterated that all efforts must be made towards having elections under the 1997 Constitution and nothing less.”
The ousted Prime Minister also suggested to the Contact Group at this morning’s meeting that the Presidential Forum, which is to be facilitated by the Commonwealth Secretariat, should also include all national issues and not just electoral reforms.
“We would prefer a political forum that will include all important issues and not only the electoral reform,” Qarase said.
“We have been very supportive of that and we are very supportive of Sir Paul Reeve’s efforts in that area so our thesis is that we would be willing to go in a political forum to discuss all these issues.”
And the ousted Prime Minister is still optimistic that elections will be held in Fiji next year.
“It is sheer optimism and our love of the country because elections will be the way forward for Fiji,” he said.
Qarase refused to comment when asked about the recommendations he made to the Foreign Ministers to try and ensure that general elections are held by March 2009.
Ousted Opposition Leader Mick Beddoes and National Federation Party Leader General Secretary Pramod Rae also met with the group this afternoon. Beddoes said they called on the Contact Group to pressure the interim government to adhere to its promises.
“Clearly the external pressure is playing a vital role in, I think, bringing the interim regime to the discussion table,” Beddoes said.
“But we are also emphasizing the need for the political dialogue process to start and we are encouraging the contact group to do what they can to encourage the interim regime to start their process and let’s get on with it.”
NFP General Secretary Pramod Rae believes pressure from the Contact group could see the country hold general elections next year.
“Pacific Island countries are our friends and neighbors and we rely on each other and we are influenced by each other and that’s the line the forum is taking.
“ I think that it’s a good thing that regime is allowing itself to engage and get the benefit of the advice and influence.
“ Of course the metropolitan neighbors, Australia and New Zealand, are able to do a little bit more in exerting pressure in the way that they have been doing and we have submitted that they ought to continue that.”
Meanwhile, Bainimarama also confirmed that he did not want the Ministerial Contact Group to meet with the political party leaders.
Although the Interim PM did not want to comment on the Contact Group meeting the political parties today, he did say that he was concerned that the meetings were being scheduled.
“They’re here to talk to us. The last thing we want to do is have them confused with anti-government talks. So…I didn’t want that because those were the same sources they were getting their information from,” Bainimarama said.
Meanwhile, Bainimarama said the Ministerial Contact Group has accepted the fact that electoral reform has to take place before elections in March 2009.
Bainimarama made the statement with regards to the meeting with the Ministerial Contact Group yesterday.
“They accepted that reforms needed to be carried out before elections. They understand that. That’s why they are here. There are some people who do not understand what’s happening. There are a lot of people who don’t want to understand what’s happening,” he said.
“But it’s good that they’re here. We can talk and so we can get them to understand what’s happening here.”
Qarase calls for ’09 Elections
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