Wellington, April 16 (Inditop) The European Union (EU) said Thursday that developments in Fiji were unacceptable and called on the interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to honour the commitments his government pledged to the international community.
EU Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said he was “particularly disappointed” because the interim government had agreed to a plan that would have allowed the EU to provide substantial financial support.
“These developments are unacceptable for the international community,” he said in a statement.
“Commitments must be respected. An early and inclusive domestic political process leading to a return to constitutional order and democracy in Fiji will allow us to provide assistance to that country at a time when global economic prospects are becoming increasingly difficult,” he said.
Fiji’s military government, which is ruling with emergency powers since April 11 after sacking the judges and imposing a news blackout on local media, defied international critics and tightened its grip on the Pacific island country.
It took over the Reserve Bank to stop a flood of capital leaving the country, assumed control of the public prosecutions office, closed the Human Rights Commission and kicked out foreign journalists to stop them reporting what was happening, according to reports from the capital Suva.
Census figures showed that 25,000 Indians left the troubled country from 1996 to 2007 while the number of indigenous Fijians rose by more than 82,000.
