27 Apr 2009

Former Fiji Vice President questions regime's motives in five-year election delay

7:29 pm on 27 April 2009

Fiji's former Vice-President, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, says the electoral changes touted by the interim government should not take five years.

When President Ratu Josefa Iloilo threw out the constitution just over 2 weeks ago, he said elections would happen by September 2014 at the latest.

Ratu Joni says five more years is an eternity, and he questions the interim regime's motives.

"The changes that they contemplate, the changes to the electoral system will not take five years. So you would then have to ask what other changes they feel they have to make. The changes in attitude they contemplate are really generational."

Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi says either the interim government feels it needs that period to lay the ground work to try to re-shape society, or it will attempt to use the length of time as a negotiating issue.