Wellington  - Fiji military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama has reversed a promise he made to the Pacific island state's aid donors, including the European Union, to hold fresh elections next year, reports from the capital Suva said on Saturday.

Bainimarama, who seized power in a bloodless coup in December 2006 and declared himself prime minister, said the election he promised to hold by March was "unachievable".

He said in a radio interview that his military regime was determined to reform the electoral system before the country of about 932,000 people goes to the polls, the Fiji Times reported.

Bainimarama has said consistently that he aims to reform a voting system that favours indigenous Fijians over ethnic Indians, who account for about 37 per cent of the population. Delegations from the EU and the Pacific Island Forum went to Fiji in the last month to urge Bainimarama to stick to the March deadline he agreed upon at a summit of forum leaders in Tonga last year.

The European Commissioner for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said on Monday that he was deeply concerned by the absence of democratic rule in Fiji, adding, "I can never condone a military take-over."

The EU and other major aid donors, including Australia and New Zealand, have said they would not resume aid and lift sanctions on Fiji until democracy was restored.

Laisenia Qarase, the prime minister overthrown by the military, told the Fiji Times that the announced cancellation of the election was "one of the most unfortunate statements I have ever heard.

"I know there will be a lot of anger from the people," he said. "This has come as a shock and a disappointment." (dpa)