The United States government has strongly endorsed the Pacific Islands Leaders forum position in issuing Fiji's interim government to come up with an election timetable by May 1st and conduct elections before the end of the year.

A statement from the American Embassy in Suva said the US is extremely disappointed that Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama refused to attend the Forum in PNG.

The US firmly supports the Leaders Forum statement that more than two years of rule by an unelected military government, with no clear timetable for the return of constitutional government to the people, is not acceptable by international standards.

The US strongly endorses the Forum's position and urges Fiji to move immediately to restore democracy and to hold free and fair elections by the end of 2009.