INDIAN Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has pledged the Government of India's continuing assistance for Fiji.
Dr Singh said India would continue its involvement in the sugar sector, health, human resource development, training of defence personnel and investment promotion in tourism and technical co-operation in the information technology sector.
Speaking during a meeting with Fiji's interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, Dr Singh said he believed India should fully engage with the authorities in Fiji to find a lasting solution to Fiji's problems and assist in its economic and social development.
Mr Chaudhry met with Dr Singh last Tuesday in New Delhi, where they discussed the political situation in Fiji.
He thanked Dr Singh for India's understanding and support for the measures being taken by the interim Government to return Fiji to parliamentary rule.
Mr Chaudhry told Dr Singh the people of Fiji appreciated the economic rehabilitation help India was giving.
Dr Singh was then told of the interim Government's three-years time frame for elections.
Dr Singh said it was an internal matter best decided by the authorities in Fiji so long as the elections held were free and fair and appropriate measures were taken, in the meantime, to fully address the issues that had led to political upheavals in the past.
Mr Chaudhry briefed Dr Singh on the interim Government's initiatives to involve the people of Fiji through the participatory process to evolve a "People's Charter".
He said the process would involve all key elements of the Fiji society. "It was intended to identify the underlying causes of continuing political instability since the coups of 1987 and initiate measures to eradicate the culture of coups and set a firm foundation for sustainable democracy," he said.
Fiji-India Association in New Zealand member Salim Singh has condemned India's continued support of Fiji.
In a statement, he said India should refrain from giving any assistance to Fiji until it returned to democracy.
"My personal reaction is that what the Indian Government is doing is repugnant to every moral fibre and instinct of my body, in that the government of Fiji is illegal." he said.
"It has been formed after the overthrow of a democratically elected government and the Indian Government should've refrained from giving any assistance to Fiji at this stage until that country returns to democracy."
Mr Chaudhry said the interim Government had taken concrete steps to involve the civil society through a comprehensive participatory process to evolve a people's charter for a better Fiji.
He made the comments while meeting with India's Minister of External Affairs, Shri Pranab Mukherjee last Wednesday in New Delhi, India.
Mr Chaudhry was joined at the meeting by Fiji's High Commissioner to India, Luke Rokovada.
Mr Chaudhry expressed regret that some friendly nations were pressing for an unrealistic timetable for elections.
