Fiji's self-appointed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has admitted that elections will not be held in March 2009.
Commodore Bainimarama told local radio that the election time line cannot be achieved, because much-needed electoral reforms cannot be implemented in time.
The nation's military rulers had given a pledge to hold elections in March during the Pacific Islands Forum held earlier this week.
Fiji's interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaium says the government did not intend to mislead the international community and believes Fijians are more concerned about rising food prices than they are about an election.
The military took power in Fiji in December 2006. It was the fourth coup there since 1987. Commodore Bainimarama told his soldiers in June that elections promised for next year were unlikely to take place because corruption problems remained.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says she is appalled at Commodore Bainimarama's comments and he has ingored promises he made.
Fiji sanctions
At the conclusion of the forum earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters warned sanctions against Fiji would only be relaxed when the country took steps to a return to democratic governance.
Mr Peters says that, from a logistical point of view, elections could be held within a very short time frame, but there had to be the political will.
He was speaking at the conclusion of talks in Suva between Fiji's interim regime, former parliamentarians and the Forum Ministerial Contact Group.
The ministerial group included representatives from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu, who assessed Fiji's readiness and willingness to hold elections. They will report to forum leaders in Niue in August.
