15 Aug 2007

Fiji regimes says no praise given for bid to restore democracy

1:01 pm on 15 August 2007

The head of the Prime Minister's office in Fiji, Parmesh Chand, says the international community is failing to give his country credit for its efforts to return to democracy.

The interim administration has made commitments to hold elections by March 2009 at the latest.

Mr Chand says significant progress, such as appointing an electoral commission, has been made.

But he says Fiji is getting little credit for it:

"We have committed funds for census and census night is set to be 16th or 17th Sept. So these are demonstrable achievements. Despite all these achievements we are still hammered with travel restrictions, even I cannot travel to Australia and New Zealand and US so where is the goodwill in the international community and your government as well in this."

The head of the Prime Minister's office in Fiji, Parmesh Chand