By Josef Benedict, Civic Space Research Officer,CIVICUS
Powdery white beaches. Crystal clear turquoise water. Palm trees swaying in the breeze.
This is the postcard picture of paradise that comes to mind when tourists think of Fiji. But for many citizens of the South Pacific’s largest island nation, and its media, the reality is anything but blissful.
And the repressive climate in which elections are about to take place serves to highlight the decline in democracy there in recent years.
In fact, since incumbent Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama seized power a coup in 2006, Fijians have seen their civic freedoms increasingly restricted through repressive laws and policies.
Read on: Inter Press Service