Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SUVA260
2007-05-09 21:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Suva
Cable title:  

FIJI UPDATE, MAY 10, 2007: REACTION TO SECRETARY

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR ASEC FJ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0833
RR RUEHPB
DE RUEHSV #0260/01 1292146
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 092146Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0041
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1681
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 1253
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1449
RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 0442
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0852
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000260 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ASEC FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE, MAY 10, 2007: REACTION TO SECRETARY
RICE'S STATEMENTS; ELECTION ASSESSMENT TEAM TO START WORK;
TROOPS IN POLICE STATIONS, POLICE IN CUSTODY; CHAUDHRY
AGAIN ALLEGES 2006 ELECTION WAS RIGGED

Classified By: CDA Ted Mann, per 1.5 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000260

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ASEC FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI UPDATE, MAY 10, 2007: REACTION TO SECRETARY
RICE'S STATEMENTS; ELECTION ASSESSMENT TEAM TO START WORK;
TROOPS IN POLICE STATIONS, POLICE IN CUSTODY; CHAUDHRY
AGAIN ALLEGES 2006 ELECTION WAS RIGGED

Classified By: CDA Ted Mann, per 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: Secretary Rice's comments condemning the
coup in Fiji received considerable press play in Fiji and
elicited a relatively mild response from the interim
government. The EU warned the interim government that
failure to honor commitments it made last month in Brussels
could lead to significant aid cuts. The Pacific Island Forum
and Fiji agreed on the composition of a four-member technical
team to assess when Fiji would be ready for new elections.
Members include the former chairman of Fiji's Boundaries
Commission, who recently stated that preparations would take
at least three years. The RFMF announced that soldiers would
be posted at all police stations to help combat crime. A
senior police official involved in pre-coup investigations
into Commodore Bainimarama's action was detained on an order
from the new anti-corruption commission and charged with
taking bribes. Interim Finance Minister Chaudhry said an
audit undertaken by his ministry casts doubts on the results
of the 2006 election. The evidence Chaudhry produced to back
up that claim appears inconclusive. End Summary.

Reaction to Secretary Rice's Statement
--------------

2. (SBU) Secretary Rice's comments at the Pacific Islands
Conference of Leaders condemning the coup in Fiji received
considerable press play in all local media May 8 and 9.
Referring to the Secretary's comment that "the Pacific cannot
devolve into an area where strongmen unilaterally decide the
fate of their country," Interim PM Bainimarama reportedly
responded that, "the fate of the United States of America was
decided by strong men 200 years ago." "We have made good
progress since December 5 last year and we have shown our
commitment to the restoration of parliamentary democracy."
Bainimarama concluded that, "Ms. Rice should have noted the
level of corruption concerned and that we are working towards

good democracy and good governance in Fiji." Parmesh Chand,
Permanent Secretary in the PM's Office, said the U.S. stance
"was to be expected,..but what they failed to note and
realize is the commitment of work in progress ...to take the
country forward. It would be good if that work was
recognized because it's recognized by the Forum process and
the EU."

EU Warns Fiji Again
--------------

3. (C) Roberto Ridolfi, head of the EU office in Suva, held
a press conference May 9, during which he warned the interim
government (IG) that EU aid would be cut if the IG did not
live up to its commitments on returning Fiji to democracy and
human rights. Ridolfi, the UK High Commissioner, and the
French Ambassador also met privately with Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Permanent Secretary Ross Ligairi and other IG
officials to express their concern that Fiji is being less
than proactive about meeting its commitments. We understand
the diplomats took note of the IG decision to keep the state
of emergency in place at least through May 31, despite its
commitment to end the state of emergency "in May."

Election Assessment Team to Start Next Week
--------------

4. (C) Andrew Martin, Charge at the Australian High
Commission, told us Fiji and the Pacific Island Forum (PIF)
working group on Fiji agreed May 9 on a four-person technical
team to assess when elections in Fiji will be feasible. The
working group will start work next week and hopes to complete
its report by the end of June.


5. (C) Australia and New Zealand had initially objected to
Fiji's request to add a fourth member to the team, Barry
Sweetman, chairman of Fiji's Boundaries Commission prior to
the 2006 elections. Sweetman had previously publicly stated
that it would take at least three years for Fiji to prepare
for a new election. According to Martin, Australia and New
Zealand accepted Sweetman to avoid an impasse, since no other
PIF countries opposed Fiji's request. Australia and New
Zealand hope that if the other members of the technical team
can show that Fiji can be ready for an election within two
years, if not sooner, Sweetman will go along. Sweetman will
be co-chair of the assessment team. The other co-chair is
Paul Harris, from New Zealand. The remaining members are
Canadian Bruce Hatch and University of South Pacific academic
Kesaia Seniloli, from Fiji.

SUVA 00000260 002 OF 002



Soldiers Placed at Police Stations
--------------

6. (SBU) RFMF spokesman Neumi Leweni announced May 7 that
"four or five" soldiers would be placed at every police
station in Fiji to assist the police combat crime. Leweni
did not say whether the soldiers will be armed (police
officers are not armed). According to the RFMF, more than
300 soldiers will take part in the anti-crime campaign. The
military will also reportedly monitor emergency calls to the
police and will help the police respond. Fiji's major
newspapers welcomed the development, stating that drastic
steps are needed to combat a recent rise in violent crime.
There are 31 police stations and 54 police posts in Fiji.

Police Official who Investigated
Bainimarama Is Detained, Charged
--------------

7. (SBU) Assistant Commissioner of Police Josaia Rasiga
(Crime) was detained May 8, and arraigned on corruption
charges May 10 based on orders issued from the Fiji
Independent Commission Against Corruption. This appears to
be the first use of the Commission's broad powers to detain
and interrogate suspects. Charges of receiving illegal
payments from a businessman were filed against Rasiga May 10.
He pleaded not guilty. Rasiga was in charge of all police
criminal investigations. He supervised the investigation
into treason charges against Commodore Bainimarama prior to
the coup.

Chaudhry Alleges (Again) that 2006 Election was Rigged
-------------- --------------

8. (SBU) Interim Finance Minister Chaudhry issued a press
statement May 8, stating that a "special audit" by the
Ministry of Finance had called the results of the 2006
national election into question (Chaudhry's Labor Party lost
that election to the SDL Party). The audit report found that
more than 600,000 unused ballot papers were unaccounted for,
he said. The report also found that the Elections Office
failed to keep an adequate record of ballot papers issued to
polling stations or ensure proper reports were filled by
election officials at polling stations. Chaudhry said that
"the mere fact that 665,256 unused ballot papers are
unaccounted for, is in itself sufficient to raise serious
questions about the credibility and integrity of the 2006
elections." Chaudhry said he had handed the findings of the
special audit to the Fiji Commission Against Corruption for
investigation.


9. (SBU Former Supervisor of Elections Semesa Karavaki
vigorously denied Chaudhry's charges and questioned the
credibility of any audit completed by Chaudhry's staff. He
said that his office had undertaken its own audit, which was
left uncompleted because of the coup. (Note: It appears
likely the Finance Ministry drew upon this document in
completing its "special audit.") The Fiji Times published a
scathing attack on Chaudhry in its May 10 editorial, saying
the number of unused and unaccounted for ballots is
meaningless and that Chaudhry's charges were merely
"political hot air."


10. (C) Comment: Chaudhry's allegations are not very new
or very convincing. Fiji's has a complicated voting system,
with each voter casting at least two ballots. Voters also
have the right to choose from a number of polling stations.
Far more ballots are printed, therefore, than are actually
cast. The failure to account for all ballot papers was noted
in the final report of the EU Observation Mission to the 2006
Fiji elections. The report states that "the high number of
papers in circulation increased the difficulties in
accounting for all the unused ballot papers. However, there
were no indications of any abuse or manipulation in
connection with the high number of printed ballot papers."
MANN