Fiji's Commonwealth suspension deadline due tomorrow

Updated August 31, 2009 17:12:12

The Commonwealth has confirmed Fiji will be suspended from tomorrow, September the first, if it refuses to commit to elections next year. The Commonwealth says the suspension will go ahead, despite it coming to agreement with the island nation's interim Government to allow a visit from a high level delegation, to investigate the situation in the country.

: Presenter: Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Voice reports

The Commonwealth first informed Fiji's interim Government it faced complete suspension in early March, saying at that time the country's military backed regime has six months to show it was preparing for elections next year. At that time the Commonwealth and the United Nations' were involved in discussions to facilitate a a dialogue involving all Fiji's political parties, to be conducted under the auspices of the office of Fiji's President. Since Fiji's constitution was scrapped on Good Friday, and a new election date in late 2014 was announced, there has been no further discussion about that dialogue.

At the start of August the Commonwealth released a statement confirming the suspension would still go ahead on the first day of September, unless it begins plans for an election next year, and also calling on Fiji to recommitt to the political dialogue. Since then Commodore Bainimarama has invited the Commonwealth's representative, Sir Paul Reeves to lead a delegation to the country to take part in dicussions.

Last last week it was made public that visit will happen in early September. That announcement led to a number of stories, quoting Fiji interim government ministers and spokesmen, saying the proposed visit meant the suspension was now no longer relevant. But the interim Government appears to have spoken to soon. The Spokesman for the Commonwealth Secretariat Eduardo del Buey has now released a statement clarifying the situation. It makes note of the comments made in Fiji over the past few days, but makes it clear the suspension will go ahead.

CMAG's statement requires the interim regime to commit itself in writing to reactivating the President's Political Dialogue Forum in a manner which is independent, inclusive, time-bound and has no pre-determined outcome, and with a view to having national elections by October 2010. The Secretary-General therefore responded in writing to the Interim Prime Minister on 24 August, that CMAG's requirements had not been met.

Since Good Friday Fiji has maintained there will not be elections until 2014, and the interim Government does not appear to be about to change its position. The Fijilive website is now quoting the country's Chief Censor and spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni, as again saying the election date won't be changed.