Australia and the United States have welcomed the Fiji interim administrations' decision in principle to hold general elections by March 2009.
Fiji TV reports that both countries say they would like to see the elections even earlier, by November 2008, as suggested in the Forum Independent Assessment Team's report.
The Australian high commissioner in Suva, James Batley, says they would like to see the interim administration taking concrete steps to move the process forward
Mr Batley says Australia is willing to assist with a population census and has already been in discussions with a United Nations agency in Suva.
The United States ambassador, Larry Dinger, says the onus is now on the interim administration to put its words into action.
Mr Dinger says the process needs to move forward rapidly and the international community will be right there ready to assist.
