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Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he is not hopeful Fiji’s suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum will be lifted soon.
Somare has made the comments in an interview with Radio Australia today following last week’s decision by members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to appeal Fiji's case at next month's Pacific Islands Forum.
However he said Fiji will have the MSG’s support regardless of what the Forum decides on.
MSG members made the decision to take Fiji’s case to next month's Pacific Islands Forum after the prime ministers of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, along with Somare met their Fiji counterpart Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama in Port Vila, Vanuatu, last week and called for Fiji's suspension to be reversed.
Earlier this year, Fiji's constitution was scrapped and strict controls imposed on the media and freedom of assembly.
"We'll go with the majority decision. But at least we'll make our points known, we'll make our standpoint known to the forum leaders,” Somare said.
Following the MSG stand on Fiji last week, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said the MSG’s support for the decision by Fiji to delay elections until 2014 did not weaken the mandate of the Pacific Leaders Forum.
Key said he believed a Pacific wide consensus against Fiji’s return to the Forum remains.
He said he believes the Melanesian support is based on a desire for progress towards democracy.
