Fiji Women’s Crisis Center coordinator Shamima Ali said the comments by Malielegaoi were quite accurate on a lot of things.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement executive director Virisila Buadromo said Malielegaoi was expressing his frustration at the lack of will on the part of the interim regime to lay down a clear roadmap for Fiji’s return to parliamentary democracy.
“It is a sign that our Pacific Island neighbors are deeply concerned about the state of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Fiji,” she said.
She said the movement had consistently advocated a time-bound commitment to elections.
Buadromo said many people felt disempowered and voiceless in the wake of the Dec. 2006 coup.
On Bainimarama appointing military personnel to top government position Malielegaoi said: “That’s what madmen who appoint themselves to office do. They appoint other madmen to positions of power.”
Ousted opposition leader Mick Beddoes called on the Pacific island leaders to consider first and foremost the people of Fiji and not the interests of the interim regime.
Tonga’s Prime Minister Feleti Sevele said Australia and New Zealand were not imposing their will on Pacific Island Forum countries, he told Radio New Zealand International.
Sevele said on Monday the Forum’s decision to threaten the interim government with a partial suspension from the Forum if it did not set a date for elections by May 1 was made on a consensus basis by members.
