Commonwealth Suspends Fiji Over Election
The
Commonwealth has suspended Fiji after it refused to
bow to demands to call elections by next year.
The 53-member group of nations cited the Pacific
island country's lack of progress towards democracy.
Democratic Ethos
The Commonwealth had demanded that Fiji commit to
its demands to negotiations with the opposition and
to conduct elections next year September one but
said in a statement last week that Commodore Frank
Bainimarama had already indicated he would not
accede.
Fiji, had ignored the demand for elections by
October 2010, indicating it would stick to its own
"roadmap", which sets out elections in 2014.
The archipelago's military leader, Commodore Frank
Bainimarama, overthrew the elected government in
2006.
Opposition
Bainimarama repeated his opposition to this time
table when he spoke to commercial radio saying the
Fiji government believes the roadmap is the only
path to ensuring sustainable and true democracy,
which includes elections in 2014.
He says he needs time to institute reforms that will
end the ethnic-based voting system tipped in favour
of ethnic Fijians.
But his critics said that under his rule, Fiji has
suspended the constitution, detained opponents and
suppressed freedom of speech.
BBC/ Qasim/ Ahaziah