The Courier

A European Union troika led by Dr Tjasa Zivko of the incumbent Slovenian EU Presidency was in Fiji on 19-20 June to assess political developments, including steps taken by the interim government to hold parliamentary elections by March 2009.

In the wake of the military takeover in Fiji in December 2006 by Commander Frank Bainimarama, the interim government agreed in April 2007 a set of 13 commitments following talks with representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the EU under Article 96 of the Cotonou Convention. The ousting of democratically-elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was deemed to constitute a breach of the ‘essential elements’ of the Cotonou agreement to which Fiji is party: human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law.

The visiting EU delegation asked precise questions on when elections will take place and on the nature of the ‘People’s Charter’ on constitutional change. The delegation, which also included French Ambassador Patrick Roussel, representing the EU’s incoming Presidency and Roger Moore, Director at the European Commission’s Development Directorate-General, was told that the drawing-up of a ‘Proposed Charter for Change and Progress’ could result in a delay to the election timetable. Fiji’s interim Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed−Khaiyum, was quoted in the Fiji Times as telling the EU troika that electoral change was necessary to give universal suffrage meaning in Fiji and to move away from institutionalising ethnicity. The EU delegation also met with ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase.

A delegation of ACP Ambassadors also visited Fiji on 12-16 May, to carry out its own assessment. Fiji’s interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Civil Aviation, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, told a meeting of ACP Ministers in Addis Ababa on 13 June that, “Fiji is committed to holding free, fair and transparent democratic elections in March 2009.” He outlined some of the measures already taken including the appointment of a new elections supervisor at the end of May 2008 and said that funding had already been set aside in the country’s 2008 budget for preparatory election work including voter registration. He said that talks were ongoing with the Commonwealth, the ACP-EU and Pacific Islands Forum on political developments.

In the wings of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) meeting in Rome, the EU Commissioner warned Commander Bainimarama that funds slated to offset the fall in the price of sugar sold to the EU resulting from EU sugar reform, could be frozen if Fiji reneged on its promise to hold elections by March 2009. Whilst Commissioner Michel acknowledged that there were problems with Fiji’s existing election system, in a frank meeting with the interim Prime Minister, he said that electoral reform was not an excuse for delaying elections. According to reports from EU Brussels officials he said that in a democracy the electorate – and only the electorate – could sanction politicians.