Leaders expect to hear answers on Fiji

An NZPA report by Sue Edne says that New Zealand and Australia are expecting to hear more about how Fiji will progress towards democratic elections during a closed meeting of Pacific leaders in Nukua’lofa, Tonga, today.

The 16-member Pacific Islands Forum is meeting in Tonga and today its leaders go into a retreat on the outlying island of Vava’u.

Both Prime Minister Helen Clark and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, attending instead of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, are expecting to hear from Fiji’s self-appointed prime minister Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama how he will take Fiji towards the promised democratic elections by the end of March 2009.

Miss Clark and Mr Downer have both ruled out one-on-one meetings with the coup leader while they are at the Forum.  But they have been in the same room with him at various times during the gathering.

Both believe there is a consensus among Forum leaders that democracy must be restored in Fiji, with New Zealand and Australia have put in place strict sanctions against Fiji.

During the official forum opening ceremony in Nukua’lofa yesterday, Papua New Guinea’s Sir Michael Somare opposed “punitive action” against Fiji.

He said the Forum had spoken before about the events in Fiji and it was important the members worked together in the “usual Pacific way” towards resolving issues to the benefit of the people of Fiji.

Asked whether New Zealand was on the “outer edge” in taking a harder line against Fiji than other Pacific nations, Miss Clark said everyone wanted to see the elections within the timeframe given – by the end of March 2009.

“What I sense is the leaders want a clear commitment to the holding of elections in the timeframe given. That’s what everybody is saying,” Miss Clark told reporters.

Mr Downer said his sense was that other leaders wanted Fiji to return to the path of democracy.  “And we hope that during the course of tomorrow when we have the retreat up at Vava’u that we’ll hear from the Fijians about how they are getting their country back on the path of democracy,” he said.

One person who did hold a one-on-one meeting with Cdre Bainimarama was Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon.  He said after the meeting they had agreed to disagree but it was important that they would hold further talks.  “I think we reached a point of disagreement on what we both believed in, but more important to me was that he wants to keep talking, I want to keep talking, we want to be engaged,” Mr McKinnon said.

When leaders arrived at the opening ceremony yesterday, Cdre Bainimarama was given the biggest welcome.

Miss Clark’s arrival was not announced, and she said later she had not seen Cdre Bainimarama’s entrance “because N (for New Zealand) is further down the alphabet” than F for Fiji.

Mr Downer said he had not particularly noticed Cdre Bainimarama being cheered when he arrived at the official opening today.

“You obviously weren’t there when I arrived,” he told reporters. “The children cheered lustily.”

Mr Downer said he looked forward to Cdre Bainimarama doing something to bring his country back to democracy and he looked forward to hearing his plans at the leaders’ retreat.

“It’s GDP is shrinking, this year it’s GDP will shrink by around 3 percent, tourism is down, industry is not doing well and the people are demoralised,” he said.

“This coup has not worked.”  “This coup is not good for the people of Fiji.”

A Report by The Mole from NZPA