London, February 24: FIJI’S military leader says his country may quit the Commonwealth altogether due to pressure from the international organisation to call elections, a report says.
Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth in September last year after Frank Bainimarama broke a promise to hold elections by March 2009 to restore democracy following the 2006 coup.
Bainimarama said the Commonwealth had failed to understand his regime’s plans to carry out reforms and draw up a new constitution before holding elections by September 2014, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported today.
Fiji would consider withdrawing from the Commonwealth in order to “stop being harassed”, the FBC report said.
Re-engagement with the Commonwealth could take place after Fiji held elections in 2014, and in the meantime it could stay out of Fiji if it refused to recognise his government, Bainimarama said.
Bainimarama toppled the elected government in a December 2006 coup and in April last year he threw out the constitution, sacked the judiciary and introduced strict media censorship.
Fiji was also suspended from the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum last year over the broken election promises.
—Agencies