(G) Government Reports Back on EU Trip: Commitment to Reform

PM Bainimarama, reporting on his trip to the European Union in Brussels, said had he discussed changes that will be made to the 1997 Constitution that deal with the rule of law, the judiciary, human rights and democratic principles with the EC’s Director General for Development, Stefano Manservisi and his advisors.He  assured them of government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, the strengthening of the judiciary, respect for human rights and respect for democratic principles.

He said this commitment was evident in the decreeing of recent new legislation “and the resurrection by decree of those essential elements of the abrogated constitution dealing with such matters”.

Bainimarama also briefed the EC officials on the programmes of institutional, judicial, constitutional and electoral reforms that are in place to begin in 2010 and in subsequent years and the reasons for these reforms, and issues pertaining to the Strategic Framework for Change, the National Dialogue Forum and the Public Emergency Regulation.

Senior EC and Fiji government officials will now follow-up on the major outcomes of the discussion with the aim of ultimately resuming formal consultations. Full story.