Frank Bainimarama

Wellington, July 22 NZPA - Preparations for the 2014 election to return democracy to Fiji could be compromised if the republic keeps "getting hit in the side by Australia and New Zealand," says Fiji coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

"Come 2014 we'll have the election, but if Fiji's not ready...it will go back to 2006...and that's probably what Australia and New Zealand want," he told The Australian newspaper, referring to the coup in which he seized power.

Cdre Bainimarama made the comments before today urging a gathering of other Pacific leaders from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu to look to the future.

Breaking away from the shackles of the past would make some people uncomfortable, but had to be done because some matters could not be resolved simply by relying on traditional spheres of influence often dictated by the Pacific's colonial past and by "certain metropolitan powers", he said.

The "metropolitan powers" included Australia and New Zealand -- which declined to attend Cdre Bainimarama's two-day forum. It was pulled together after the formal Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting scheduled to be held in Fiji today was called off.

The state-controlled Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported the representatives of island nations had a closed meeting after the opening session of the so-called Engaging with the Pacific meeting, and that they were briefed by Fiji.

"Fiji presented its time-line for the holding of elections in 2014," the state broadcaster said. "Consultation on the drafting of a new constitution will commence in September 2012".

The consultations would be extensive and not limited to political parties.

Fiji would see the assistance of the international community to provide expertise and resources when this process began, so that the new constitution could be in place at least a year before the September 2014 election.

In his opening speech, Cdre Bainimarama claimed Australia had been "embarrassed" in its bid to dissuade Pacific nations from attending the forum.

Fiji expelled Australia's acting high commissioner Sarah Roberts this month and Cdre Bainimarama told The Australian that Ms Roberts had tried to undermine the MSG meeting.

In an extended version of the interview, aired on Sky News, Cdre Bainimarama said he read about the allegations in the local media, but didn't speak directly to Ms Roberts.

"She was interfering in our domestic affairs," he said. "Australia was trying to undermine Fiji's authority...and embarrass us in front of the international community."