Canberra lifts curbs on Fiji

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, OCT. 5. Australia today announced that it was lifting bilateral sanctions imposed against Fiji following the July 2000 overthrow of the Mahendra Chaudhry Government.

The Australian decision on sanctions means that Canberra has broken ranks with New Zealand, whose Government had announced previously that it would await a court verdict, which may allow the Indian-dominated Labour Party to share power as constitutionally-mandated, before taking a final decision on the sanctions.

Australia and New Zealand have influence in the South Pacific, and India, earlier this year, had asked both countries to watch what kind of Government takes power in Fiji before re- admitting Suva into the Commonwealth.

The fact remains that there is no Indian Minister in the Qarase Government in Fiji. Under the country's 1997 Constitution, all parties with more than 10 per cent of the seats must be given berths in Government. The idea was to make the Government consensual and multi-racial.

Canberra may now have little objection in Fiji returning to the Commonwealth fold.

Justifying the lifting of sanctions, the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Downer, said in a statement: ``The sanctions were imposed to encourage Fiji to an early return to democracy.

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Section  : International
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