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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 yesterday from his home on Vanuabalavu Island in Fiji's Lau group and 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."
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 lot but he also wanted travel bans, which were effective, put in place.
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 on the "beautiful" island of 16 villages and nearly 5000 residents.
Vanuabalavu was quite traditional with just a couple of backpacker facilities and a small airstrip, he said.
Mr Qarase, who has been living on the island since December 6, said the airline which operated a flight there once a week had been told he was not allowed to board.
A boat 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, especially given 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."
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 Timesthat progress included the compilation of a mini-Budget and the realignment of Government ministries.
Industries such as tourism had recovered rather miraculously after the events of December 5, 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."
Mr Chand said despite mixed reactions from the international community, Fiji was moving forward and the interest shown by Malaysian businessmen in investing in Fiji was a welcome development.
Mr Chand said the interim Government was working on bilateral and multilateral engagements with immediate neighbours Australia and New Zealand and he reiterated that it was looking to send a delegation to India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
