FIJI UPDATE 2/22/07: QARASE WARNS AGAINST HAVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000123 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM ASEC ELAB FJ SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE 2/22/07: QARASE WARNS AGAINST HAVING BAINIMARAMA AROUND AT ALL; ACTING CJ GATES MAY HEAR QARASE'S LAW SUIT; THE BAINIMARAMA/CHAUDHRY "PAY BACK" CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE DANGEROUS LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES REF: SUVA 120 Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Exiled PM Qarase has warned that returning Bainimarama to the barracks could well leave the Commodore continuing his interference in politics. Acting Chief Justice Gates, a shadow backer of Bainimarama, may hear Qarase's law suit. The RFMF continues intimidation, including against lawyers and senior police. The interim government has told public-sector unions they may authorize a strike but may not engage in one. It appears the Fiji judiciary will see an infusion of judges. How they are selected could dramatically affect rule of law. Interim Finance Minister Chaudhry is showing his vindictive side. We comment on a worry that the Indian High Commission and many in the Indo-Fijian population are applauding a highly dangerous game of "pay back" with the ethnic-Fijian community. End summary. Qarase: Bainimarama a threat, even if he returns to camp -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) PM Qarase, still exiled on his home island in Lau, complimented a recommendation by the Pacific Island Forum's Eminent Persons Group for Bainimarama to step down as PM, but Qarase commented on a danger that Bainimarama would continue unreasonable demands on any successor government, leaving Fiji with "the same problem once again." Qarase said any "civilian leadership" of an interim government should not consist of Fiji Labor Party or National Alliance Party members, since the FLP and NAP were behind the coup. Acting CJ Gates and Qarase's law suit -------------- ¶3. (C) Some media sources say they have been reliably informed that Acting Chief Justice Anthony Gates has decided to designate himself to hear PM Qarase's case against Bainimarama and other coup perpetrators. Reportedly the first court session will be March 2. (Comment: For Gates, who by many accounts has been a "shadowy figure" behind the coup, not to recuse himself would be a travesty of justice.) Military intimidating lawyers -------------- ¶4. (U) Several law firms in Suva have let it be known they have received threats from the military to discourage taking on law suits against the coup perpetrators, including for human-rights violations. Early on Feb. 20, a car belonging to a family member of Tevita Fa, the lawyer handling Qarase's suit, was vandalized. Three men entered Fa's fenced yard and smashed all the windows. Security guards in the area followed the culprits and allegedly saw them depart in a military vehicle. A policeman in military custody: more abuses -------------- ¶5. (C) Last Friday, 2/16, the military took into custody Waisea Tabakau, Acting Director of the Police Criminal Investigations Division (CID). He was detained at Queen Elizabeth Barracks until yesterday, 2/21, when Acting Police Commissioner Tikotikoca went to QEB to seek his release. To the best of our knowledge, it is the longest RFMF detention since the coup. RFMF sources have revealed little, only suggesting that Tabakau and others supposedly have continued investigations that were to have ceased. Presumably, such investigations were against senior RFMF figures for coup-related activities. Tabakau reportedly told associates that during the weekend, while at QEB, he saw several ambulances depart the camp transporting people beaten by military interrogators. Bainimarama brother heads census effort -------------- ¶6. (C) Timoci Bainimarama, long head of the Fiji Government's statistic office which organizes and tabulates the census, and brother of Commodore Bainimarama, has been appointed Census Commissioner by the interim government. His mandate is reportedly to complete the census this year. (Comment: we are aware that the U.S. Bureau of the Census has worked with Fiji for several years on census preparations.) SUVA 00000123 002 OF 003 Public sector can vote for strike, but not have one -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) Talks between the Public Service Commission and the Confederation of Public Sector Unions about interim government plans to impose a 5% public-sector wage cut and to reduce the public-sector retirement age from 60 to 55 ended in a deadlock. Reportedly an interim cabinet meeting on 2/27 will make a final decision on the issues. Interim Labor Minister Rounds Ganilau said on 2/22 that the unions will be permitted to conduct a secret ballot to seek a strike mandate under Fiji labor laws, even with the "State of Emergency" in place. However, she added, the unions will not actually be allowed to go on strike. Rounds Ganilau said she is seeking other options for solving the dispute. A judge crunch coming; stacking the courts? -------------- ¶8. (C) Acting CJ Gates has said urgent reforms are needed to allow the judicial system to work more effectively and efficiently. He noted the current number of judges is insufficient to handle a backlog of cases. He intends to fill all judicial vacancies and possibly appoint acting judges. (Comment: Ironically, we are informed by a judicial colleague that Gates, himself, has a shocking backlog of cases awaiting judgment. Some date back five years or more. We understand that one of those interested in a judicial appointment is the MFA's Isikele Mataitoga, former CEO and now Acting PermSec.) The EPG report noted that a number of expat judges are nearing the end of their contracts and/or may not be willing to continue under interim-administration circumstances. Who gets selected for judicial openings and how selections are made could dramatically affect rule of law. Vindictiveness: Chaudhry and the Fiji Post -------------- ¶9. (C) The Fiji Post newspaper and interim Finance Minister Chaudhry have long had a contentious relationship. When Chaudhry was PM in 1999-2000 he believed, probably with justification, that the Post was slanting news and opinion negatively. Now that Chaudhry has power again, with a degree of control over the purse, he has moved to sell the Fiji Government's 45% share of the Post (not a problem if there is a willing private buyer) and to foreclose on sizable Post debts to government coffers (which could force the Post to close its doors). On February 15, the Post's editorial discussed its rough road with Chaudhry and then concluded with the following: "we hope Asha gave you a Happy Valentine, Mahend." Asha is Chaudhry's well-known but not publicly talked about mistress. The Minister was not pleased. His lawyer son announced a law suit would commence. (Comment: While very few people actually read the Post's editorials, Fiji TV displayed the "Asha" quote as part of a story on Chaudhry's reaction. The whole nation became aware.) More vindictiveness? Chaudhry and FMF -------------- ¶10. (C) Another long-standing Chaudhry enemy has been Hari Punja, the highly successful founder of Flour Mills of Fiji (FMF). When the Chinese built a large gym for Suva's South Pacific Games a few years ago, Punja bought naming rights for what became the "FMF Dome." Reportedly FMF recently was a few days late in depositing its periodic payment for the rights, not an uncommon occurrence in Fiji. The Fiji Sports Council (FSC) response was immediate cancellation of the agreement. The "FMF Dome" logo then was painted out from the front of the gym. Under the interim government, Chaudhry crony Vayeshnoi is Sports Minister and Chaudhry son Rajendra is on the FSC board. Comment: the dangers of "pay back" -------------- ¶11. (C) A diplomatic colleague had dinner with Indian High Commissioner Ajay Singh a few days ago. Singh, who has made no secret of his support for the interim government's "clean up" effort, described the present Fiji environment as "pay-back time." Chaudhry's vindictiveness against the Post and FMF is illustrative, but Singh probably meant "pay back" more broadly against those who supported the 2000 coup that removed the Chaudhry government, and more broadly yet against those who have suppressed ethnic-Indian interests in the past. We suggested to Singh at the time of the coup that the Indian Government, the world's biggest democracy, should SUVA 00000123 003 OF 003 condemn the RFMF action. Singh argued that many Indo-Fijians were supportive of Bainimarama's efforts. We suggested that any obvious Indo-Fijian enthusiasm for the RFMF would be playing with fire. Since then there have been many instances of Indo-Fijians complaining to the RFMF about ethnic-Fijians and of RFMF troops then enforcing street justice with no due process. To date, nothing has exploded into flame, but there is certainly a danger of "pay back" reversing course with tragic consequences. DINGER