Emergency Aid to Fiji for its General Elections

July 10, 2001

On July 10, the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency assistance (grant aid) totaling 370,000 dollars (39,590,000 yen) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist the fair and smooth implementation of the General Elections in the Republic of the Fiji Islands from August 25 to September 1, 2001.
The elections will be held under the constitutional law by the Caretaker Government which was inaugurated in March this year. The elections aim to normalize democratically the country's political disorders triggered off by the incident in which the Fijian Parliament was taken over by an armed group in May 2000. The free and fair implementation of the elections is extremely important to show at home and abroad that Fiji is restoring its democracy.
The emergency assistance (grant aid) will be extended as part of UNDP's Assistance Project for the elections and will provide financial support to the management of a media center, rental fees for vehicles, boats and communications equipment, and the dispatch of Japanese election supporting staff. The assistance is expected to contribute greatly to the free and fair implementation and the success of the elections.

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