FIJI SUSPENDED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH

The Commonwealth of Nations officially suspended Fiji’s membership on 2 September 2009, as the deadline for the country's ruling military junta to set a definite date for democratic elections passed. Officials with the Commonwealth office in London had repeatedly warned Fiji's rulers that the country would face suspension if they did not set a date for holding elections in 2010. Just hours before the deadline passed on 2 September, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama stated that his government had already released a "road map" for democracy and that he would not be pressured into holding elections before 2014. Unconfirmed reports indicate that representatives of Bainimarama's administration worked feverishly in the final days before the deadline to avert suspension. The suspension means that all Fijian representatives will be barred from attending Commonwealth meetings and sporting events, while other Commonwealth nations are now forbidden from giving economic assistance to Fiji. Fiji is still eligible to receive limited economic aid that would go toward restoring democracy.