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Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has urged Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama to rescind the Public Emergency Regulations and demonstrate his willingness to resume a fully inclusive political dialogue process.
Sharma has also told Bainimarama that the government’s plans to wait another three years before re-starting a national dialogue on Fiji’s future, and five years before the holding of elections, could not be supported by the Commonwealth.
The message was relayed at a meeting between the two leaders attending the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly and in advance of the meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to be held in New York this weekend.
Sharma said the Commonwealth stood ready to support a national dialogue process.
He said the Commonwealth remained open to re-engaging with the government on the basis of Commonwealth principles.
The meeting follows a visit to Fiji earlier this month by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Fiji, Sir Paul Reeves.
Sharma and Bainimarama last met in New York in September 2008.
Fiji was fully suspended from the Commonwealth on September 1, 2009.
