The Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has announced that his government will provide an additional 745,000 US dollars to help Fiji prepare for its elections.
Australia will now give a total of nearly 3 million dollars to help fund the poll which starts on May the 6th.
The new contribution will involve Australian Electoral Commission officers assisting with voter registration and electoral officer training.
Support will also be provided to the Fiji police for security and logistics during the elections.
In a statement, Mr Downer says any request from Fiji for Australia to observe the elections will be very favourably considered.
M Downer says Fiji's prosperity depends on political stability and economic growth.
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