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Fiji's deposed prime minister Laisenia Qarase has praised New Zealand for its actions against the new regime in the country but wants to see more international sanctions imposed.
Mr Qarase talked to the Herald today from his home on Vanuabalavu Island in Fiji's Lau group where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the announcement by interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama that elections would not be held until 2010.
"It is totally unacceptable. There is a lot of disappointment in Fiji that the time period proposed is far too long," he said.
Mr Qarase said it should be possible to hold elections much sooner and he appealed to the international community to apply pressure to help achieve that.
He said New Zealand had already done a great deal but he wanted other countries to take tougher action, such as travel bans.
Mr Qarase said he found it difficult to be kept fully informed of international sanctions against the December 5 coup as he was stuck on his island with just a telephone and fax machine and no access to the internet.
But despite his exile he was enjoying life back on the beautiful island of 16 villages and nearly 5000 residents.
The island, about 21 square kilometres in size, is traditional with just a couple of backpacker facilities and a small airstrip.
Mr Qarase, who has been living there since eh day after the coup, said the airline which operated a flight to the island once a week had been told he was not allowed to board.
A boating service about every three weeks always had a group of soldiers on board to prevent him from sailing to Suva.
Mr Qarase said he would like to leave the island at some point soon, particularly as there was a court case in Suva on March 2 where he, some former Government ministers and his SDL party would seek a ruling that the overthrowing of his Government was unconstitutional and illegal.
"At some stage I will be required," he said.
The 68-year-old said if fresh elections could be called soon he would stand again, but by 2010 his health might not be up to it.
Parmesh Chand, the military-appointed adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, said political life in Fiji was stabilising since the handover of executive authority to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.
Mr Chand told the Fiji Times that progress included the mini-Budget that was being compiled and the realignment of government ministries.
Industries such as tourism have recovered "miraculously" after the coup, he said.
"I believe it would be fair to say that law and order is at its best, tourists are starting to come back to our shores and businesses are thriving," the paper reported him as saying.
Mr Shand said despite mixed reactions by the international community, Fiji was moving forward and the interests shown by Malaysian businessmen to investing in Fiji was a welcoming sight.
Mr Chand said the interim Government was working on bi-lateral and multilateral engagements with immediate neighbours Australia and New Zealand, and he reiterated that it was looking to sending a delegation to India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
