Forum-Fiji Joint Working Group 26th Meeting
PRESS STATEMENT ( /08)
10th April 2008 Pacific Islands Forum-Fiji Joint Working Group on the Situation in Fiji 10 April 2008, Forum Secretariat, Suva AGREED OUTCOMES The Working Group held its twenty-sixth meeting at the Forum Secretariat Headquarters in Suva on 10 April 2008, attended by senior officials from Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. The Working Group received advice from Fiji that appointment of the Supervisor of Elections had been further delayed but was now imminent, and reiterated its hope that the appointment would be finalised and announced as soon as possible. The Working Group discussed the Fiji Interim Government’s election timetable, which Forum Foreign Ministers had been advised would be put to the interim Cabinet this week. Fiji undertook to provide an update on the progress of Cabinet consideration of the timetable at the Working Group’s next meeting. Working Group members reiterated their concerns about further public statements since its last meeting which appeared to link the timing of elections to the progress of the People’s Charter process. Fiji reassured the Working Group that it remained firmly committed to the agreed election timing of March 2009. The Chair of the Elections Donor Coordination Committee (EDCC) advised the Working Group that the EDCC had received the report of the technical experts who visited Fiji in March to assess the Elections Office gap analysis, and would meet to discuss it later today (10 April). The Working Group agreed to discuss the outcomes of the EDCC’s consideration of the report at its next meeting. The Working Group discussed the outcomes of the Forum Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting held in Auckland on 26 March, including how the Working Group can best report to and assist the Ministerial Contact Group formed by the Foreign Ministers. The Working Group will hold its next meeting on 24 April 2008. Forum Secretariat, Suva 10 April 2008 |
2008