PM's Presser: Fijian Concerns, Mr Zaoui Re-appears

Monday, 9 July 2007, 5:23 pm
Article: Kevin List

The prospect of who was going to be attending the Pacific Island Forum cropped up at today's post-cabinet press conference.

"My intention is to go. Fiji's interim and illegal Government will need to be discussing with the Forum what the appropriate level of representation is," explained the PM.

The PM also expressed some surprise that in a televised interview Fiji's current ruler Commodore Frank Bainimarama had no idea when elections may be held.

"They had agreed in principle to having an election by the outer time limit set by the European Union and that seems to be a rather rubbery commitment at this point," was the PM's summation of the Commodore's latest pronouncements.

Today, was also the day that Algerian Refugee Ahmed Zaoui's risk security certificate review started. Mr Zaoui's review ill be conducted by SIS Inspector-General Paul Neazor.

The review will be carried out in private, and is scheduled to finish by Christmas. The review has been criticised by some in the media and groups such as Amnesty International because the hearing is not open to the public and therefore is not transparent.

The PM was adamant however that classified security information should not leak out of the precincts of the Auckland Employment Court, Lorne St.

"It's not a court it's a review of a security risk certificate. Obviously it involves the use of classified information and that is properly done outside what would be the procedures of a court," said the PM.

Listen to the full Prime Minister's press conference

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