The Commonwealth also welcomes the announcement of national consultations on a new constitution commencing in February 2012
The Commonwealth has welcomed the announcement by Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama that the Public Emergency Regulation (PER) will be lifted on 7 January 2012.
“The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, called this a positive step, which was long overdue. He recalled that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) - the custodian of Commonwealth values and principles - has repeatedly urged the authorities in Fiji to lift the PER and respect the human rights of all its people,” said a Commonwealth Secretariat spokesperson.
"The Commonwealth also welcomes the announcement of national consultations on a new constitution commencing in February 2012. The Secretary-General hopes that such consultations will be fully inclusive and time bound and that they will lead to a genuine national consensus on the constitution, clearing the way for credible elections and the return of a democratically elected government without further delay. The Commonwealth remains ready to engage as a partner and to extend assistance as appropriate towards these ends."
