Wellington  - New Zealand and Fiji refused to budge in the standoff that threatened to see the two countries expel each other's diplomats Tuesday.

New Zealand insisted it would not reverse a ban on visas for officials of the military, which seized power in a bloodless coup two years ago, and their families, until fresh democratic elections were held.

Prime Minister John Key told reporters he sent a message to Fiji military strongman Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama confirming that the travel ban remained in force.

"It spells out our position, which is we have no intentions of lifting the ban on people travelling to New Zealand if they are part of the regime or associated with the regime," Key said.

He said Fiji clearly would not meet a March 2009 deadline for fresh elections as demanded by the South Pacific Forum and aid donors, and that New Zealand's position would not change until the regime took concrete steps toward democracy.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully talked to Bainimarama by telephone Tuesday, and Key said the next move was up to Fiji, which is reportedly poised to expel New Zealand's acting high commissioner Caroline McDonald.

That was expected to be Bainimarama's retaliation for Wellington's refusal to give a visa to the son of the official secretary to Fijian President Josefa Iloilo to resume his university studies in New Zealand.

If that happens, New Zealand is virtually certain to expel Fiji's top man in Wellington, Ponsami Chetty.

Fiji deported the state-owned Television New Zealand's Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver on Tuesday after she was arrested when flying into the capital Suva on Monday night to cover the developing row between the two countries.

Key said it was "totally unacceptable" that a New Zealand diplomat was refused access to see Dreaver, who was held in a detention centre overnight.

Dreaver said she had learned she was blacklisted because of a story on a poverty-stricken Fijian village she compiled when visiting the country in April. (dpa)