Australia has been warned against rushing to buddy-up with Fiji after the Pacific nation's long-awaited election next week.
Doing so risks setting a "low bar" for full democratic restoration from the military government and could set a dangerous precedent for the maintenance of democracy throughout the region, a respected policy think tank says.
The September 17 poll is Fiji's first since Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power in a military coup in 2006.
Jenny Hayward-Jones, Melanesia program director with the Lowy Institute, argues even if the elections are free and fair it won't necessarily put the nation back on a solid path to democracy.
"Elections should be seen as the start of a process of restoring Fiji's democracy, not the end," she said.
Press freedom, judicial independence and empowering opposition MPs to hold the government to account were essential building blocks as well.
Official media censorship was lifted in 2012 but there are still tough penalties on reporters who criticise the government, and some journalists have complained of intimidation.
The absence of a credible opposition for many years means Commodore Bainimarama and his Fiji First Party have extraordinary election campaign prominence.
"Australia needs to be cautious about signalling too quickly its acceptance of his democratic legitimacy, if indeed he is elected prime minister," Ms Hayward-Jones says.
Canberra must also avoid compromising its efforts to promote democratic change for the sake of increasing regional influence.
Fiji has the second largest population and economy in the Pacific region and that carries a lot of sway with other nations.
This has implications for cooperation on Australia's regional initiatives in areas such as trade, security and development.
Fiji should be invited to join the Australian-funded Pacific Parliamentary Partnership program which twins parliaments and provides training and mentoring to speakers, clerks and newly elected MPs, Ms Hayward-Jones said.
Fiji also needs encouragement to rebuild its judiciary by recruiting judges from other commonwealth countries.
She predicts the voting process and counting will be hard to rig but believes other aspects of the election process have been unfair.
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