The New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says the Commonwealth has been trying to tread carefully with Fiji, despite setting the country a six month deadline to restore democracy.
After a meeting in London overnight, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group said Fiji will be fully suspended from its membership in six months if it does not meet the deadline.
Mr McCully says the Commonwealth has issued its own timetable, but has endorsed the approach of Pacific Islands Forum leaders who gave Fiji until the first of May to announce an election date or face targetted measures from the regional body.
Mr McCully says the Commonwealth has tried to tread carefully because it has had representatives in Fiji in the last few weeks as part of a dialogue process with the interim government.
"I think the Commonwealth today was trying to avoid upsetting a process which if you like is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, still though against the background of no real movement on a return to democracy in that country."
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
Fiji's interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama says Fiji will not be rushed into holding elections.