Hon Phil Goff
Government Minister
28 September 2008
Media statement
Commonwealth Endorses Forum call for Fiji to Progress Return to Democracy
The New Zealand Government representative on the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, Phil Goff, today welcomed CMAG’s
reaffirmation of its strong support for the Pacific Islands Forum to achieve the restoration of democratic and
constitutional government in Fiji .
“The Commonwealth has made its support clear for the Forum roadmap to return legitimate government to Fiji . The Forum
in Niue has earlier expressed its support for the Commonwealth-led process of independent and inclusive political
dialogue to be advanced,” Phil Goff said from New York .
“The two organisations are clearly working in a complementary way to see the situation in Fiji resolved.”
Phil Goff said two Forum members, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, were represented on CMAG and this helped to ensure
that other members of the CMAG group were informed of the recent discussions in the Forum aimed at assisting Fiji back
to democratic government.
“Papua New Guinea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Abal and I were able to update CMAG colleagues at todays meeting in
New York on the recent discussions among Forum Leaders in Niue and to highlight the viable ‘exit strategy’ the Niue
Communiqué roadmap provides to assist the Fiji interim government and political stakeholders within Fiji to resolve the
current impasse.
“It is very clear that the interim government’s efforts to pursue electoral and constitutional change in Fiji through
its People’s Charter initiative are meeting with significant opposition, not just because there is no consensus at this
stage on electoral or constitutional changes within Fiji, but also because it is increasingly recognised that only a
legitimately elected government can pursue such changes.
“The only viable way through the current situation is to proceed to advance preparations for an election under the
current Constitution, and at the same time pursue parallel efforts at political dialogue between the interim government
and political stakeholders,” Phil Goff said
“This political dialogue process can provide the clarity required to enable an election to occur. This includes
agreement on a post-election framework for further discussions to resolve the constitutional and broader issues of
national reconciliation that the December 2006 coup and its aftermath have highlighted.”
Phil Goff said New Zealand would continue to work within the Forum and the Commonwealth to encourage the Fiji interim
government to engage constructively on both election preparations and an appropriate political dialogue process.
“A visit to Fiji by the Forum Ministerial Contact Group before the end of the year may provide an opportunity for
constructive discussions between Ministers from the region and the interim government that would highlight the
significant risks that the continuation of the current situation presents for Fiji ’s future, both internally as well as
within the region. I therefore welcome the recent announcement that the Fiji interim government is agreeable to a
visit by the Contact Group before the end of the year.
“All of our efforts on Fiji are guided by our deep concern about the impact that coups have had on Fijians. For more
than 20 years now, the people of Fiji – both indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians - have suffered through successive
coups. There is a growing realisation within Fiji that a more durable and stable Fiji will only be able to emerge if
interim government reflects further on its current direction,” Phil Goff said.
ends