SOUTH PACIFIC: Hero’s Welcome for Bainimarama at Regional Do

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Analysis by Shailendra Singh

SUVA, Oct 18 2007 (IPS) - Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama will return from the 38th Pacific Island Leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, pleased, if not surprised by the hero’s reception he got – to the consternation of the leaders of Australia and New Zealand.

Ahead of the two-day formal sessions that concluded Wednesday, there were doubts as to whether Bainimarama would even be allowed to enter the Pacific island kingdom as the two regional superpowers made no secret of their distaste for the military leader, who snatched power in December 2006.

The meeting was attended by 16 leaders or representatives of the member states of the regional organisation which groups Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. New Caledonia and French Polynesia attended as associate members and East Timor, Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna as observers.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke said Bainimarama would be treated like a “leper” if he bothered to show up.

But her Tongan counterpart, Fred Sevele, was firm that there would be no restrictions placed on Bainimarama and that he would be welcomed as the head of a country, if he wished to attend.

But even Bainimarama was surprised by the warm reception he received – if not from Clarke, and Australian foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer, who refused to talk to him – then certainly from the public and fellow Pacific Islands leaders.

Later, when he arrived at the official welcoming ceremonies, he was treated with huge applause and cheers from the waiting crowd, causing one journalist present to describe it as a ‘‘rock star” reception.

The outgoing chairman of the Pacific Islands Leaders’ Forum, Michael Somare, who has his own troubles with Australia, devoted a large part of his opening speech to calling for understanding in regards to the situation in Fiji.

He asked for patience and understanding of the forum members as “Fiji moves ahead to find its own home-grown solutions to its internal problems.”

Another surprise was when the outgoing secretary general of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, invited Bainimarama to a dinner he hosted for the leaders, much to the displeasure of Clarke who, at a press conference, bluntly said Bainimarama should not have been invited.

She did not attend the function and neither did Downer.

The warm reception aside, the communiqué produced by the leaders after their retreat in Vava’u on Wednesday made no bones about what was expected of Bainimarama – election by the first quarter of 2009 and an acceptance by the military of the result, whatever the outcome.

The leaders also urged the interim government to work with the Forum Joint Working Group to produce a credible roadmap towards elections and accord the highest priority to this task.

The leaders called for a meeting of the forum’s foreign affairs ministers in January next year to review the progress being made towards the elections.

Opening up dialogue with the coup leader seems to have worked, at least for now. Addressing the leaders, Bainimarama gave an undertaking that parliamentary elections would be held in 2009, and that he and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces would accept the outcome of the elections.

This was a turnaround from his statements in the earlier days of the coup when he defiantly thumbed his nose at the international community and said elections could be held only if he felt the country was ready for it.

Even while giving assurances of elections, Bainimarama made no bones about the fact that he did not believe that it was the answer to the country’s coup culture. He told the leaders that more fundamental and deep-rooted problems besieged Fiji which has led to the so-called coup culture and that holding elections for the sake of holding elections would not solve those problems.

Adopting a softer line Bainimarama added that he had a vision of a truly democratic Fiji in which there is no institutionalised racism. He said he wanted a country in which every person’s vote had the same value as the other, and in which both – the indigenous commoner and chief – reaped and realised equal benefits from their resources,

He said he also wanted to eradicate corruption. “Surely no one can object to these values and goals. These are indeed core principles of the various United Nations Declarations and endorsed by the community of nations of this world.”

His presentation may have resonated with some island leaders, but they are bound to hold him to his promise of elections.

While the country appears stable and the military well in control, the people, the business community and Fiji’s neighbours are spooked by occasional warnings of an uprising by supporters of the ousted government.

The latest was this month by the Australian government, which said it had credible information that a group was planning to commit violent acts in Suva. There was no violence as predicted, but the uncertainty is reflected in the low investment levels and sluggish economy.

The feeling among many is that the longer the uncertainty, the harder the impact on the economy, and the more difficult it will be for recovery.

Despite the olive branch extended by Bainimarama, Clarke was adamant that New Zealand will only lift sanctions when the interim government demonstrates a genuine commitment towards democratic elections. “It is very important to the leaders that we got a commitment at the meeting that the outcome of the election would be respected,” Clarke told journalists in Tonga.

She added that benchmarks would have to be met before there was any easing of sanctions. Downer echoed Clarke saying Bainimarama must meet the promise he made to the leaders.

Bainimarama is known for his dislike of former prime minister Laisenia Qarase. He has vowed that he will not let him return to power. But legally he cannot prevent Qarase from contesting the elections.

Another challenge for Bainimarama and his interim government is how to get immunity before giving up power. They have to find answers before the first quarter of 2009.