Fiji coup leader says South Pacific nations agreed on reforms before elections

Fiji's coup leader said Thursday he has won agreement from visiting South Pacific foreign ministers that his country needs political reforms before new elections are held, but at least one of the ministers denied that a consensus had been reached. Commodore Frank Bainimarama said he talked with the six ministers about reforms that need to be in place ahead of elections. The reforms are likely to take many months and are seen by critics as a delaying tactic. "They accepted that reforms need to be carried out before elections," he told the Fijilive radio network. Bainimarama did not spell out what reforms were discussed. He has repeatedly said he wants to replace the nation's "race-based" electoral system and "root out corruption" before elections to return Fiji to democracy. However, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters... [read full story]