Ban “urges full respect for human rights, the rule of law and the judicial process,” according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.
He noted that a meeting convened last week by Fiji’s military ruler included a number of political parties, but excluded many major ones.
Last year, the U.N. was requested to mediate an “inclusive, independent and time-bound” political dialogue, also brokered by the Commonwealth, after parliamentary elections scheduled for last month were postponed.
“The United Nations, in consultation with the Commonwealth, will be reviewing its role in mediating a national dialogue in light of these developments and the prior understanding that the dialogue must be broad-based, inclusive, time bound and without prejudice as to its outcome,” Ban said.
The island chain has suffered prolonged internal tensions between its indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities, and had four coups since 1987.
