20 Feb 2007

Fiji's CCF supports Forum recommendations on post-coup Fiji

5:10 pm on 20 February 2007

Fiji's Citizens Constitutional Forum is supporting many of the recommendations that have emerged from the Eminent Persons Report on the military take over last December.

The NGO was one of a group that spoke to four senior figures investigating the cause of the coup and looking at recommending a way forward on behalf of the Pacific islands Forum.

A spokesman for the CCF, Jone Dakuvula, says the NGO's had also recommended a return to democratic rule in 18 to 24 months and a separation of the election process from the military's clean up campaign.

He says there is also a need for the military to pull back from influencing the police and the judiciary:

"We NGO's in Fiji have been very strong on criticising the military influence on the judiciary. I think that is very important because cases have to go before the judiciary involving the illegality of the coup and corruption issues for example, so it is very important to maintain the independence of the judiciary and it is good that the EPG report has come out on that strongly."

A spokesman for the CCF, Jone Dakuvula

The Forum Secretary General, Greg Urwin, is not commenting on the report until it is presented to a meeting of foreign ministers that, while unconfirmed, will probably be held next month.