Mr. Slade added that there is now 'no assurance of commitment to an early return, through elections, to democratic constitutional governance for Fiji, as Forum Leaders have long been urging on the Interim Administration' (Key regional reactions and international responses, 2009, p. 5). In addition, Bainimarama's military regime was suspended from the PIF for breaking promises to hold elections in 2009 (Pacific leaders tackle impact of global crisis, 2009).
The Melanesian Spearhead Group
Vanuatu's Foreign Minister George Wells said that the MSG encourages Fiji to comply with the timetable for elections for March 2009 (Key regional reactions and international responses, 2009, p. 6).
The United Nations and the Commonwealth
On 17 April, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) expressed deep concern about the reported crackdown on press freedoms in Fiji. On 20 April, the UN Security Council (UN SC) expressed concerns about the political situation in Fiji. Fiji Islands will be fully suspended from the Commonwealth at the Group's next meeting [on 26] September 2009 (Key regional reactions and international responses, 2009, p. 6).
The European Union
Following the military coup in Fiji on 5 December 2006, the EU considered Fiji to be 'in breach of certain essential elements of political clauses contained in the Cotonou agreement'. The military takeover was also condemned by the EU in the Council conclusions issued on 11 December. On 15 April 2009, the European Commissioner for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, expressed deep disappointment with the developments in Fiji (Key regional reactions and international responses, 2009, p. 6).
The responses described in Table 1 above indicate that beyond the modest but largely symbolic sanctions that were leveled by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, there has been little effort on the part of the international community beyond some hand-wringing and clucking. Given the fully entrenched nature of Bainimarama's regime, it is doubtful that "expressing deep disappointment" and "deep concern" and expelling Fiji from membership in regional coalitions will effect any meaningful change in the Fijian government in the foreseeable future.
Conclusion
The "ho-hum" response by the international community...
Notwithstanding the country's strategic position, importance as a trading partner for Australia, and its destabilizing influence on the region, the regional and international response to the coup in Fiji can be viewed as a rubber-stamp approach that is pulled out whenever crises affect tiny countries that do not possess large amounts of oil and gas. The varying levels of condemnations, "encouragements" and "urgings," and the expulsion of a Fijian member of the PIF amount to the sum total of the token responses by the international community. Commodore Bainimarama must be pleased by these responses and feel empowered to continue his current plans to postpone free elections until 2014, but the smart money would bet on these free and peaceful elections not taking place at that time either.
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