Fiji urged to change election plans

Published: 9:16AM Sunday September 27, 2009 Source: ONE News

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  • Fiji urged to change election plans (Source: ONE News)
    Frank Bainimarama - Source: ONE News

The Commonwealth has told Fiji's interim leader to lift the country's state of emergency and show his willingness to resume a fully inclusive political dialogue.

Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has also told Commodore Frank Bainimarama his government's plans to wait five years before holding elections can't be supported by the Commonwealth.

Fijilive.com reports that the message was relayed at a meeting on the sideline of last week's United Nations General Assembly.

Sharma says the Commonwealth is ready to support a national dialogue in Fiji.

He says it is also open to re-engaging with Bainimarama's administration, on the basis of Commonwealth principles.

The meeting follows a visit to Fiji earlier this month by the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Fiji, Sir Paul Reeves.

The Pacific nation was fully suspended from the Commonwealth at the beginning of September.

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