Fiji's broken promise 'disappointing'

12 Jan 2012, 9:30 am   -   Source: AAP
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Commodore Bainimarama drew cautious international praise when he announced earlier this month his intention to lift draconian public emergency regulations. (AAP)

Commodore Bainimarama drew cautious international praise when he announced earlier this month his intention to lift draconian public emergency regulations. (AAP)

Fiji's U-turn on public emergency laws shows Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama can only be judged on real progress towards elections, say NZ and Australia. 

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Fiji's return to a state of clampdown just days after lifting draconian public emergency laws is "disappointing", says New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully.

The international community would be watching closely to see if the South Pacific nation could proceed with free and fair elections, planned for 2014, Mr McCully said on Thursday, after Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama enacted new laws giving him many of the same powers he had under emergency rule.

Commodore Bainimarama drew cautious international praise when he announced earlier this month his intention to lift draconian public emergency regulations that had been in place since April 2009.

But that now appears to have been little more than a publicity stunt.

"Having welcomed the announcement that the Public Emergency Regulations would be lifted, we are disappointed to see the Public Order Decree introduce new restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly," Mr McCully said in a statement to NZ Newswire.

"The international community will now be watching closely to see whether public consultations are able to take place in an environment in which there is freedom of expression for all parties. That will go to the heart to whether elections are free and fair."

The Australian government also registered its disappointment.

Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles said the move had dashed his hopes that Commodore Bainimarama - who seized power in a 2006 coup - was ready to start restoring democracy.

"There has been a history in Fiji since 2006 of the interim regime making promises and not honouring them."

Mr Marles said it was clear the Fijian regime had to be judged on its actions, not its words.

He said the new laws did not leave him with much hope that the regime's planned consultations for a new constitution - scheduled to begin next month - would be credible.

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