Pacific leaders would be flexible about an extension to the agreed deadline for a general election in Fiji, said the Pacific Islands Forum Chairman, Tonga's Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele.

In a statement on Friday July 19 Dr Sevele clarified the position of the Forum over the controversy that Fiji would not have a general election in March 2009 as the Fijian Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Bainimarama had promised Pacific leaders at the Forum meeting in Tonga last year.

But he also stated that, "At the same time, Fiji must convince the Forum that it has the political will and is genuinely committed to fulfilling its part of the Agreement reached, by consensus, here in the Kingdom last year," Dr Sevele stated.

At the Leaders retreat in Vava'u the Pacific leaders had discussed a 7-point communiqué, said Dr Sevele.

"We also added that, if having taken all reasonable steps towards holding the elections as promised, the Fiji Interim Government found that it was genuinely and practically impossible for Fiji to hold free and fair elections in the first quarter of 2009, then the Forum Leaders would, as reasonable people, be flexible about an extension of the agreed deadline."

Dr Sevele stated that the Forum Leaders had frank discussions with Commodore Bainimarama in Vava'u.

"The Commodore was asked to leave the meeting. After almost two hours of discussions, the Forum Leaders set out in draft the 7-point communiqué, which Sir Michael Somare and I were then delegated by the Leaders to meet and discuss with the Commodore and report back to the Leaders."

Then at their meeting with the Commodore and his advisors, they had raised the point of including the phrase 'in principle' in the section stating that Fiji would hold elections by March 2009.

Dr Sevele stated that they told the Commodore that if he wanted the Forum and the wider international community to believe that he was being serious about holding the elections in 2009, then the phrase 'in principle' should not be included in the text of the communique.

"The Forum has been consistent on its stance and its commitments towards helping Fiji move forward, and would continue to be so. This is why Sir Michael Somare and I, as well as the Forum Foreign Affairs Ministers, have been engaging with the Commodore and the Fiji Government since the Leaders' Meeting last year," Dr Sevele stated.