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Fiji’s interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said he has done what he can to convince the visiting European Union delegation that Fiji can not hold elections in 2009.
And if the EU fails to see the interim Government’s point then it it’s their call, he said.
The interim Government has emphasized that political stakeholders have to meet and agree on ways to reform Fiji’s race-based voting system before elections can be held.
Sayed-Khaiyum, who is also Minister responsible for Electoral Reform, met with the EU delegation this morning and said the meeting was fruitful as they talked about electoral reforms and the proposed President’s Dialogue Forum.
“These were very useful discussions. We were able to talk about the rationale behind the electoral reforms.
“It was sad that the group could not meet with the elections office or the electoral reform commission. I gave them a quick brief on what has been going on and how long it will take to hold the elections.”
According to a statement from the EU office in Suva, the delegation met a wide range of stakeholders from the interim Government, the political sector as well as from different parts of the economy, the judiciary and civil society in order to obtain as precise a picture as possible of the political and socio-economic situation of the country. The delegation also visited projects funded by the European Union in the education sector.
In the statement, the EU delegation following its consultations notes that commitment of the interim Government following the December, 2006 coup “to enable free and fair elections within 24 months as of 1 March, 2007 is unlikely to be honoured”.
“Unfortunately, the delegation could not confirm that credible and timely preparations for elections are underway. This is a condition for the resumption of financial support from the European Union to the Fijian economy.”
This means that the $334 million grant promised to Fiji’s ailing sugar industry may not be forthcoming until elections are held.
To this Sayed-Khaiyum said the interim Government will continue to support the sugar industry although no aid is forthcoming.
“Government apart from the $5 million to the sugar industry in the 2009 Budget has given a separate allocation for the establishment of the sugar research institute,” he said.
“It is imperative that the restructure must continue to keep in touch with the changes that take place globally.”
Before leaving today, the EU delegation urged that parliamentary elections take place before the end of 2009 “based on a political dialogue process involving all stakeholders and conducted without delay”.
