A Forum meeting agreed last month that the interim government in Suva would face suspension from the forum if it failed to set a date for elections, to be held this year, by May 1.
On Tuesday, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said Fiji will hold its elections when his government deems the time is right, and that the timing would not be determined by an external deadline.
“I must also tell you that unfortunately for the forum, maybe only three countries endorsed what came out and decided that outcome, and that was Australia, New Zealand and Samoa,” he told Radio Australia.
“And Samoa for good reason — Samoa and New Zealand are one and the same.”
In response, Forum Chairman Talagi told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program that the Forum meeting last month was fair, and that its outcome should be respected.
“I am disappointed because what I wanted the interim prime minister to do, as the chair of the Forum, was to think about what was said,” Talagi said.
“These are very prominent, elder statesmen of the Pacific that he is talking to and with, and we are very keen indeed to continue to engage with Fiji and to determine a pathway forward. In fact I thought it was a very good open meeting, everybody had things to say about what we needed to do,” he said.
Talagi said the Forum meeting in Port Moresby had not been dominated by Australia, New Zealand or Samoa in its decision to push Fiji towards setting a date for elections.
“The conclusion that was made was agreed to by everyone. It wasn’t just a matter of Australia, or New Zealand, or Samoa or anybody for that matter, forcing the issue with respect to the decision,” he said.
“The decision was reached unanimously.”
Meanwhile, Fiji’s ousted opposition leader, Mick Beddoes has accused the interim prime minister of committing treason since staging the coup more than two years ago.
Commodore Bainimarama is threatening to not allow Fiji’s deposed prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, out of Fiji again once he returns from his current visit to Australia.
He has accused Qarase of lying to obtain a visa.
Qarase has been holding political meetings in Australia, and told one in Brisbane his life is in danger from Fiji’s military government.
Mick Beddoes has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program that Bainimarama should not be preventing Qarase from traveling out of Fiji.
“It’s I guess a further indictment, or a further step towards a Banana republic status,” he said.
“I guess you could say because here we have a man who has committed treason and has perpetuated the act of treason since December 2006. Receiving a pat on the back from the High court in Fiji and then now proceeding to then question the former prime minister who was constitutionally elected.”
