Frendo to lead Commonwealth talks with Fiji

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has requested its chairman, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, to visit Fiji to convey its concerns to the interim government on the current political situation in the country and report back to the group at its next meeting in Kampala next month.

The CMAG is a group composed of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers and the Commonwealth Secretary General, dealing with serious or persistent violations of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values as laid out in the Harare Declaration and as amplified in the Millbrook Principles.

In December last year, following the military overthrow of the democratically elected government in Fiji, CMAG suspended the Fiji Islands from the Councils of the Commonwealth, pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in that country.

In a statement issued following the meeting in New York, the CMAG Ministers, after taking note of the statement by Commodore Bainimarmama - the military leader - to the UN General Assembly last week, expressed grave concern at the re-imposition of the Public Emergency Regulations in Fiji last month, the recent pronouncements of Commodore Bainimarama that the deposed SDL Party would not be allowed to contest the next elections, the militarisation of the Fijian administration including the presence of senior military personnel in leading government positions and reports indicating that the independence of the judiciary was being seriously compromised and that human rights violations were continuing.

CMAG reiterated that it was essential that elections in Fiji be held by March 2009, if not sooner, and that all parties be allowed to participate fully and freely. The group called on the interim government to expedite preparations for the elections.

In its session, CMAG also reviewed developments in Pakistan and received a report from Dr Frendo on his visit to Pakistan in June and another report from the secretary general, Don McKinnon, on his recent visit to the country.

The group welcomed the Commonwealth's continued engagement with Pakistan with the objective of encouraging its return to full democracy and the maintenance of the rule of law.