27 Sep 2011

Fiji's interim leader outlines elction plan at UN

11:40 am on 27 September 2011

Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has made an appeal at the United Nations General Assembly for understanding, space and help in ensuring democracy can take root in Fiji.

The Commodore reiterated his plan for the run up to elections in 2014, saying from September next year Fiji must turn its attention to developing a new constitution.

The interim leader told the meeting in New York Fiji has the ability to pull itself up by its own bootstraps and he told the gathering electronic voter registration would start in January.

"The new Fijian constitution must do away with racial categorisation and discrimination; so that for the first time in Fiji's history, Fijians will go to Elections in 2014 on the basis of common and equal suffrage. This will be real progress."