The New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully, has rejected criticism of Wellington's support of the Fiji regime's efforts to organise elections in September.
Mr McCully has told the website Fijivillage that NGOs and opposition parties that continue to criticise New Zealand on the matter should ask themselves whether the continuous criticisms are helping anyone.
He says there has been so much progress already and this needs to be acknowledged.
Mr McCully is quoted as saying this includes the prime minister, Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama, following the process as any other party to register his proposed party.
His comments come as police are invesigating Rear Admiral Bainimarama for multiple and continued breaches of decrees and laws, which, if there is a conviction, would see the regime leader barred from the election and jailed.
Rear Admiral Bainimarama has been campaigning although he has neither registered a party nor signed up as an independent.
