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New Zealand has promised $700,000 in cash and aid to help Fiji run a free and fair election later this year, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said on Tuesday.
"New Zealand will provide personnel, technical and funding assistance to ensure that the elections are properly run," Goff told Parliament.
Goff said New Zealand would send an election policy consultant and a staff member from the New Zealand Electoral Office to the country of around 800,000 people in the next week.
New Zealand's technical help will include computer software for an election management package for Fiji's Office of the Supervisor of Elections.
The New Zealand Electoral Office would help run the package during the election from August 25 to September 1.
Saturday is the first anniversary of a coup which toppled the government of Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
Armed rebels led by businessman George Speight stormed and occupied parliament, seizing Chaudhry and many members of his government on May 19 a year ago over demands for greater indigenous rights.
The military ended the rebels' occupation of parliament and released the politicians after 56 days, arresting Speight and installing an interim government.
That government was ruled illegal by a Fijian court in March, but reinstated by the president ahead of the national elections.
The coup and its after-effects had been disastrous for Fiji and a fair election was crucial for the resumption of the island nation's economic development, Goff said.
"The assistance from New Zealand, along with support from Australia and other countries, will assist the Fiji Supervisor of Elections in ensuring that the election process is properly conducted," Goff said.
"Election monitors from the international community may also be involved."
Last year's coup was the third in Fiji in 13 years.
© Reuters
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