The Government says an exception to a travel ban to allow Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, to pass through Auckland is not a softening of its stance on the coup leader.
A group of five from Fiji - including Commodore Bainimarama, two senior ministers and two officials- have been given one-off transit visas to pass through Auckland next week on the way to Niue for a meeting of Pacific leaders.
Air New Zealand operates the only commercial flights to Niue, from Auckland, making it necessary for New Zealand to waive its ban for the trip to allow Commodore Bainimarama to attend.
Prime Minister Helen Clark and her Australian counterpart, Kevin Rudd, are expected to be on the same flight as Commodore Bainimarama heading to the Pacific Islands Forum, where Fiji will be a major issue.
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said the exception was to allow Pacific leaders to confront Commodore Bainimarama over reneging on an initial commitment to hold elections in Fiji by March next year.
"We note he gave undertakings to the forum last year which were clearly not implemented and forum leaders do need to hold him to account for that."
She said it was not a softening of New Zealand's travel ban on the Fijian administration which has been in place since the coup in December 2006, but was the only way to allow other leaders to question Commodore Bainimarama.
The Fijian delegation includes the commodore, his Foreign Affairs Minister, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, and the interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Two senior officials will travel with them.
Helen Clark said Fiji's reneging on its commitment would be a major issue at the forum.
A group of foreign ministers who had visited Fiji found nothing blocking the March elections other than "political will".
Commodore Bainimarama has accused New Zealand and Australia of being heavy-handed in their attitude and for insisting elections should be held under the current Fijian constitution. He said elections could not be held by March because of the need to make electoral reforms first.
