SUVA, Fiji – Major General Sitiveni Rabuka, leader of Fiji’s two 1987 military coups, says he wants Fiji elections to be held in 2011.  He believes the interim government should ignore the Commonwealth’s order to hold elections by September.

Mr. Rabuka also says the constitutional and electoral reforms proposed by the interim government can only be made by the Parliament and the reforms should be put to the people of Fiji in a referendum.  He explained, “In that way we do not change the constitution unconstitutionally, and we leave it to parliament to make the changes that the interim government feels it should have supported or not supported in the referendum of 2011.”

Describing why 2011 is an ideal year for elections, Mr. Rabuka said, “In my opinion, the best time to have elections would be 2011, as that would be five years after the interim Government came into power.  And normally, we give a tiem frame of five years for the new government and budget cycle to work.”

For more information, please see:

Islands Business – Ignore Commonwealth deadline, elections best held in 2011: Rabuka – 18 March 2009

Radio Australia – Former Fiji PM wants 2011 elections – 19 March 2009