By Xinhua,
Wellington : The Fijian government said it was still too early to say when elections will be held to return the nation to democratic rule, Radio New Zealand reported on Tuesday.
Foreign ministers from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tuvalu are currently in Fiji to press the interim government to honor promises for elections early in 2009.
The group held a two-hour meeting with Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama on Tuesday morning and will report to a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum next month.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said the group will be looking for a recommitment to democracy from the interim administration.
Australian Foreign Minister Steven Smith said on Monday night upon his arrival in the Fiji capital of Suva that it is very important to the region that Fiji is a fully-fledged member of the Pacific Islands Forum, The Fiji Times daily reported on Tuesday.
Smith said the Pacific Forum Ministerial Contact Group meeting on Fiji’s progress toward elections had an important judgment to make with regards to Fiji’s commitment.
Last month, Fiji suspended talks with the Fiji Joint Working Group, citing New Zealand and Australia’s “neo-colonial” attitudes as one reason.
Fiji’s interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed Khayum said New Zealand and Australia have been unwilling to engage in constructive discussions on democracy and described their position as “hypocritical”.
The European Union said it has deep concerns that Fiji is pushing back the timeline for elections.
The military took power in Fiji on Dec. 5, 2006.