Fiji: democracy in doubt

Having promised the EU that there would be elections in 2009 in an effort to free up $350 million in frozen aid money, Fiji's military dictator Voreqe Bainimarama is now threatening to delay elections if people keep opposing the regime. It's a worrying sign, and not just because of the direct threat to delay the introduction of democracy - it also suggests the regime may interfere in any elections it does hold in order to fix the outcome and prevent its opponents from regaining power. This in turn will make it far more difficult for Fiji to pursue the steps necessary to break the cycle and destroy the "coup culture": prosecuting those responsible and disbanding the military so they can never threaten democracy again.