Fiji military must restore democracy-Commonwealth

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – The Commonwealth, Australia  and New Zealand called on Fiji’s military ruler, Commodore Frank  Bainimarama, to hold credible elections and restore democracy  after he announced an end to emergency laws imposed since 2009.

The Commonwealth suspended Fiji and its two more powerful  neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, imposed sanctions after a  bloodless coup in 2006.

Bainimarama, who took power in the 2006 coup and imposed  emergency laws in 2009 prohibiting protests and censoring the  media, announced in a New Year’s message that the emergency laws  would end in February.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said that was  a positive step but added he hoped there would be “credible  elections and the return of a democratically elected government  without further delay”.

“We do want to see action. We do want to see democracy  restored,” Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a news  conference in Sydney yesterday.