Rice calls for Fiji elections next year
Updated
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has echoed New Zealand's calls for polls in Fiji next year.
Dr Rice met host New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters in Auckland to discuss a range of issues including Fiji's move to cancel elections, regional security, and prospects for a New Zealand-US free trade deal.
Their call for free elections in Fiji comes before Dr Rice and Mr Peters attend a weekend foreign ministers meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum -- New Zealand, Australia and 14 island states -- in Apia, Samoa to discuss mainly Fiji.
She says she'll try to lend her voice to what have been very strong regional efforts aimed at promoting free elections in Fiji in March 2009.
She also praised "the leadership that New Zealand and Australia have given, along with other countries of the Pacific islands, to try to resolve these difficult issues" on Fiji.
Earlier this month Fiji's self-appinted Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama reneged on a promise to hold elections by March 2009, saying the timetable was no longer achievable because of the need for electoral reforms.
