Helen Clark Refuses To Engage With Bainimarama

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has signalled that she will not engage with Fiji coup leader and interim prime minister, Frank Bainimarama.

At the conclusion of the official opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku'Alofa, Tonga, Helen Clark told journalists that she would refuse to a meeting between herself and Commodore Bainimarama even should the controversial Fijian leader request it of her personally.

New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark arriving in Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum.

Fiji's prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama in Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum.

Helen Clark said other leaders gathered in Tonga for the Pacific Islands leaders summit also share a wish that Fiji be restored to democracy and hold free and open elections by the end of 2009.

However, addressing Pacific leaders at the official opening of the 2007 forum, Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, said the Pacific Islands Forum ought to assist the people of Fiji, but that punitive measures against the military-led nation were ill-advised.

Clearly Helen Clark is the sharp end of the Pacific Forum's wedge here. She is committed to her resolve: to object in the most forthright manner possible to the military controlled interim government continuing to hold power in Fiji.

The December 2006 coup was followed by the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat deploying an eminent persons group (EPG) to investigate alleged corruption inside Fiji - arguably one of the issues that led Bainimarama's military moving to topple the Qarase government.

The EPG also investigated claims that the military controlled interim government was responsible for a series of human rights abuses against opposition sectors of Fijian society and media. The EPG also tabled a roadmap toward democracy.

Commodore Bainimarama reportedly agreed with the EPG that the return to democracy plan was possible and democracy could be restored by 2009.

He later rescinded his commitment to move the country forward, stating that institutionalised corruption, electoral and commercial, needed to be stamped out before Fiji returned to the polls.

On Monday, Councils of the Commonwealth secretary general Don McKinnon manoeuvred between Helen Clark and Frank Bainimarama. McKinnon said if a moderator was required then he would fit the bill.

McKinnon invited both Clark and Bainimarama to a hosted dinner. However both prime ministers turned down the invitation – Clark instead met with Papua New Guinea's prime minister Sir Michael Somare and Tonga's prime minister Fred Sevele – Bainimarama met with Fijian businessmen.

McKinnon's move was soon rendered impotent when Helen Clark delivered a one liner: "I would have thought suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth included suspension from the dinner parties."

The Pacific leaders fly to Tonga's Vava'u island early Wednesday morning, where they will attempt to restore shape to the Pacific Plan of regionalisation, of sustainability, of moves to ensure good governance is the norm rather than corruption and pulling together so the Pacific's island states can speak with one voice.

Those principles that only two years ago looked well on track, today look impossible.

At worst the Pacific is splitting into factionalism and instability.

At best it is marking time until a stoush between the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and the Sogavare government is resolved, and Fiji, and Tonga reassert a commitment toward true democratic government.

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Foreign Affairs: McKinnon Moves To Resolve Clark Bainimarama Scrap - Scoop's Selwyn Manning reports from Tonga that Commonwealth secretary general Don McKinnon has positioned to be mediator committed to resolving a scrap between New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Fiji interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama. More >>

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