If You Want Democracy, Support the Roadmap: Ratu Inoke

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, says Fiji’s roadmap to democracy has been accepted by countries within and outside the Pacific region,  and is recognised as a credible and sustainable.  “It will provide the best opportunities for all its citizens [to address] the problems of the country head on,  through a reform process running concurrently with preparations for elections,” he said.

The Minister criticised Australia and New Zealand for what he called their  stubborn dogmatic insistence on “early elections” as a panacea to all of Fiji’s deep-seated problems. He likened their past and recent statements to a broken record player that insists on elections and nothing more, despite general recognition that racism, corruption, and inequality, inter-alia in the electoral system that govern elections are deep-seated problems that have to be addressed if the country is ever to become a democracy in any real meaning of the word.



“The efforts of Australia and New Zealand to influence the words and actions of countries which recognise Fiji’s Roadmap smacks of a superiority complex that assumes they know better than any other country what is good for Fiji, including Fiji itself, and runs roughshod over the notion of a partnership among equals.”

 He repeated Government’s stand that it will continue to adhere to its Roadmap for Democracy which will result in the September 2014 General Election. “There is no other way but Fiji’s home-grown roadmap is the way to democracy.”


“Fiji calls on all partners in the international community to engage constructively with Fiji towards achieving these goals rather than standing on the sidelines and trying to dictate what they think is best for Fiji."  He said Fiji’s home-grown roadmap to democracy was the way forward and must be supported.