The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration CMAG, called on the Fiji Interim Government to expedite its preparations for an Elections under the current constitution.

During the CMAG twenty-ninth meeting at Marlborough House, London on 12 May to review reports on the situation in Pakistan and Fiji, it reaffirmed its strong support for a Fiji Election to be held by the deadline of March 2009 or earlier as it was agreed to by the Pacific Islands Forum and the Interim Government during the Pacific Islands Forum's annual meeting in Tonga last year.

The Group was very concerned that the independent of the judiciary and freedom of the media in Fiji has been seriously compromised, "including the deportation of media personnel in contravention of court orders."

The CMAG also expressed concerned over the continued militarisation of key Fijian institutions, and human rights abuses in the country.

The Group expressed its full support for the efforts of the Secretary-General...’s representative, Sir Paul Reeves to engage in an inclusive dialogue process with all Fijian people and parties including civil society and that the constitutional future of Fiji should ultimately be determined through a representative, elected parliament.

The CMAG meeting was chaired by Hon. Dr Rais Yatim, Foreign Minister of Malaysia, and assisted by his deputy Hon. Sam Kutesa, Foeign Minister of Uganda. Other members of CMAG who attended the meeting were: Hon Akwasi Osei Adjei, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Hon Marco Hausiku, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Hon Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Lord (Mark) Malloch-Brown, UK Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, HE Jean Kekedo, High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to the UK, and HE Eldridge Stephens, High Commissioner of St Lucia to the UK.