The Fiji government is seeking assistance from the Indonesian government on holding democratic elections in 2014.

The Tempo News agency in Jakarta said Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is learning from Indonesia’s experience in developing democracy as Indonesia was deemed to be one of the countries that has managed to develop direct democracy and guarantee freedom of speech.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Fiji wants some feedback from them following a bilateral meeting at Merdeka Palace yesterday.

Natalegawa said Fiji is in the process of decentralizing after Commodore Bainimarama said that the Fiji government planned to hold general elections in 2014.

He said so far, the Indonesian Foreign Department is cooperating with Fiji to facilitate information from the Indonesian General Elections Committee to the Fiji General Elections Committee about how to hold a democratic election.

The two leaders also discussed efforts to improve bilateral relations.

Natalegawa said both countries had collaborated in the fields of agriculture and fishery and Indonesia could provide technical assistance in the agriculture, fishery and diplomacy sectors.


Story by: Roneel Lal