FIJI UPDATE 12/21: NO CONSENSUS REACHED BY GREAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000581

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PHUM ASEC CASC FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE 12/21: NO CONSENSUS REACHED BY GREAT
COUNCIL OF CHIEFS; MEETINGS TO CONTINUE 12/22

REF: SUVA 578 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Ted Mann per 1.4 (B) and (D)

Summary
--------------

1. (C) The Great Council of Chiefs failed to reach consensus
during their meeting 12/21. The meetings have therefore been
extended an extra day. A GCC press release stated that the
Council "has agreed in principle on resolutions that are
within the legal and constitutional framework," and that
final recommendations would be issued 12/22. The failure to
reach consensus follows a day of intense speculation that the
GCC would endorse a proposal to ask PM Qarase to resign and
grant immunity to coup leaders, in return for the
establishment of a non-military interim government. PRC
Embassy officials told us the "One China" statement posted on
the RFMF website 12/20 was the result of a representation by
the PRC Embassy to the CEO of Foreign Affairs.

GCC Fails to Reach Consensus
--------------

2. (C) A press release issued after the conclusion of the
day's GCC meeting stated that "the GCC has completed its
second day of meeting and has agreed in principle on
resolutions that are within the legal and constitutional
framework. The Council will meet again tomorrow, Friday 22
December, for final recommendations and endorsement." GCC
Chairman Ratu Ovina Bokini told us the Council was "getting
closer to making a decision," but that it had not been
possible to reach consensus. He offered no further details.
Media reports said that two of Fiji's three confederacies had
reached a tentative agreement, but a third, the Tovata
confederacy, disagreed. Reportedly, the Tovata confederacy's
discussions were led by Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, the son
of the late President Ratu Kamisese Mara, and one of the
highest ranking officers in the RFMF.

The Media and Bainimarama Jump the Gun
--------------

3. (C) The failure to reach an agreement followed a day of
fevered speculation that the Council would endorse granting
immunity to coup leaders in return for the establishment of a
non-military interim government. The scenario spelled out in
this morning's papers and throughout the day in radio and
internet reports suggested that the GCC would "reinstate"
President Iloilo, and ask Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to
resign. This would presumably pave the way for a decision by
Iloilo to dissolve parliament and appoint an interim
administration. The GCC was reportedly prepared to recommend
immunity for Commander Bainimarama, all other coup leaders,
and all RFMF troops. In return, the military would remove
itself from government and "return to the barracks."
Apparently mistaking the above-reported scenario as a done
deal, Commander Bainimarama told reporters that "This sounds
good to me. But it will not happen overnight. It will
happen in our own time."

Small Protest Outside GCC Venue
--------------

4. (U) A small group of protesters outside the FMF Dome,
the site of the GCC meeting, were detained by police and
later released. The protesters, the same group that built a
"democracy shrine" just outside Suva, were carrying Fiji
flags and brandishing placards condemning the coup. They
were detained because they had no permit to stage the protest.

"One China" Policy Statement Explained
--------------

5. (C) The DCM at the PRC Embassy in Suva, Fei Mingxing,
told us today that the "One China" policy announcement on the
RFMF website posted 12/20 (reftel) was the result of a
request the PRC Embassy made to Isikeli Mataitoga, the CEO of
Foreign Affairs. Fei said the PRC did not want to see Taiwan
take advantage of the current situation. In the turmoil
after the 1987 coup, he said, Taiwan's trade office in Suva
was upgraded to the present "Trade Mission of the Republic of
China (Taiwan)." In the 1999-2000 period, Taiwan made
further gains, including, at one point, having the Taiwan
mission included in the diplomatic registry. Fei said the
PRC did not want to see these unfortunate episodes repeated.
Fei said Fiji had not yet made requests for additional aid
from the PRC. At present, Fiji's civil service is in such
disarray that even previously agreed-upon aid initiatives
could not move forward. Fei said the Embassy had no dealings

SUVA 00000581 002 OF 002


with the military, but only worked through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.


6. (C) Sherman Kuo, Taiwan's Representative in Fiji, told
us "it is obvious" that the PRC and the military have made a
deal: the PRC will provide increased aid, and Bainimarama
will actively promote a "One China" policy. Kuo said he had
heard from two prominent Indo-Fijian businessmen that the
military authorities had approached two countries for help,
China and India. Kuo said he has received explicit
instructions from Taipei to "stay totally out of the current
crisis." No one from the government or military has
contacted the Taiwan mission, he said.

Comment: One Day More
--------------

7. (C) The word in the street now is that the GCC will
reaffirm its appointment earlier in the year of Ratu Josefa
Iloilo as President and Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi as Vice
President, and restate its commitment to the rule of law and
the Constitution. Whether that scenario plays out, or
another one more favored by the military, remains to be seen.
Stay tuned.








DINGER