"Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama will need to show solid progress towards restoring democracy before Australia and the European Union would lift sanctions, Australian and EU ministers have said.
Reuters reports that the European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner discussed Fiji with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, at a meeting in Canberra yesterday. Both reportedly agreed that it was too early to relax sanctions.
"The most important thing is to see whether the commitment will materialise," Ferrero-Waldner told reporters. Ferrero-Waldner was referring to the commitment undertaken by Fiji’s interim regime that the country would go to the polls in early 2009.
The EU has said more than F$400 million ($250 million) worth of aid to Fiji would be either delayed or put at risk because of the December 2006 takeover, according to Reuters. Australia has also suspended part of its aid programme to Fiji and imposed travel bans on Bainimarama and members of his Government. Defence cooperation was also suspended.
Downer and Ferrero-Waldner said they were willing to offer financial and expert help for Fiji to hold its elections, but both maintain that the future of aid commitments relied on firm moves to restore democracy." fijilive.com
Reuters reports that the European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner discussed Fiji with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, at a meeting in Canberra yesterday. Both reportedly agreed that it was too early to relax sanctions.
"The most important thing is to see whether the commitment will materialise," Ferrero-Waldner told reporters. Ferrero-Waldner was referring to the commitment undertaken by Fiji’s interim regime that the country would go to the polls in early 2009.
The EU has said more than F$400 million ($250 million) worth of aid to Fiji would be either delayed or put at risk because of the December 2006 takeover, according to Reuters. Australia has also suspended part of its aid programme to Fiji and imposed travel bans on Bainimarama and members of his Government. Defence cooperation was also suspended.
Downer and Ferrero-Waldner said they were willing to offer financial and expert help for Fiji to hold its elections, but both maintain that the future of aid commitments relied on firm moves to restore democracy." fijilive.com
The best way to put a halt to the destruction of Democracy in our nation is to continue to impose sanctions on the Illegal Interim Government. We may suffer for a while but this serves us for the greater good, we must endure tough times in order for the nation to be restored to normalcy.
The stand by the EU & Australia no matter how tough for our economy is the only way to go.
They could not on one hand disagree verbally with the December coup and yet, continue to supply us with aid. This would show, they will continue to support any illegal takeover of an elected government and compromise their position.
This stand is welcomed by majority of anti coup supporters. The only way to deal with this situation is to starve them out of any finance.
The ball is now in the court of the IIG. Let's see if they will keep their promise to hold elections in 2009.
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