FIJI'S BAINIMARAMA -- WITHOUT PRETENSIONS. ALSO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000224

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI'S BAINIMARAMA -- WITHOUT PRETENSIONS. ALSO
NOTES ABOUT DONORS

REF: SUVA 204

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D).

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

1. (C) During a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group
(MSG) in Vanuatu last week, and in a media interview on the
side, interim PM Bainimarama made clear publicly that he sees
himself as the Ataturk of Fiji, the military man who has the
vision to right the nation's wrongs and build a bright
future. Bainimarama expressed frustration at critics,
including the United States, who fail to accept his motives
as pure. He said elections will only take place once a
People's Charter is in place to mandate future governments'
behavior. If any future government goes against the Charter,
Bainimarama will remove that government. He advocated a free
media, so long as it is un-biased and "pro-Fiji." In other
news, a source in MFA sketched interim government (IG)
efforts to cultivate new donors to replace those, like
Australia, who are now unfriendly. Aside from the expected
targets like China and India, the source said efforts are
under way to create bilateral agreements with Turkey, Italy,
and Venezuela. The same source discussed an IG impression
that, within the EU, France wants to be accommodating, in
contrast to the UK. End summary.

Melanesian Spearhead Group and Fiji
--------------

2. (U) Leaders of the MSG (PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu,
Fiji),including interim PM Bainimarama, met in Port Vila,
Vanuatu, last week. According to Fiji media reports,
Bainimarama received a rather understanding response when he
laid out his explanations for the 2006 coup and his vision
for Fiji's future. Reportedly, interim Foreign Minister
Nailatikau had told the ministerial portion of the conclave
that elections in March 2009 remain set. Bainimarama was
more candid, describing the IG's strongly held view that
elections will only make sense when a People's Charter is in
place to mandate the right course for future Fiji
governments. Bainimarama reportedly complained to MSG
leaders about Australia, New Zealand, and other donor
critics, saying, "We need help, not closed doors."

Military has the vision; accept it
--------------

3. (U) In an interview with a journalist from the Fiji Times
on the margins of the Vanuatu meetings, Bainimarama made his
intentions even more clear. He sees the People's Charter as
setting the course for non-corrupt, non-race-based,
democratic governance. Parties that want to participate in
elections will have to accept the Charter. If deposed PM
Qarase and his SDL party want to participate, "they have to
come on my terms." If any future elected government attempts
to go against Charter principles, Bainimarama said he "will
remove" that government. If corrupt elements utilize the
current constitution to attempt to frustrate the interim
government's vision -- as some high chiefs are now attempting
with regard to a revised Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) that
is to bless the choice of a new, IG-approved, Vice President
-- the military will do whatever is necessary, including
abrogate the constitution. That would be "no big deal."
Bainimarama suggested most people in Fiji are all in favor of
his efforts, even though people like Qarase and some in the
international community remain opposed.

Reluctant knight in shining armor
--------------

4. (U) In the newspaper interview, Bainimarama said he
removed the Qarase government with great reluctance, but his
motives were pure: to bring about a far better Fiji than what
had come before. Thus, the 2006 coup was completely
different from Fiji's earlier coups where selfishness was the
motive. He suggested an apt comparison is to the Turkish
military. He said, "I've been standing up to everyone, the
Australians, the Kiwis, the Americans, the British, the
European Union...The people who are attacking us, they're

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attacking us because of talks with the ousted people." If it
had been the Methodist Church or the GCC that had carried out
the coup, it "would have been endorsed by countries like the
United States of America." But "unfortunately" it was the
military. "Usually when the military does this, it is seen a
a grab for power." But this time, Bainimarama averred, the
motive was genuine reform.

Responsible "pro-Fiji" media needed
--------------

5. (U) In the interview, Bainimarama said the media need to
be regulated to ensure they are without "bias" and are
"pro-Fiji." He added, "We don't want to gag the media, we
don't want to stop media freedom...but we want someone from
outside to have a look...instead of the publishers and
editors." He complained, "Why is the media so much against
the interim Government when we've done nothing but plan good
for this country?"

Looking abroad: who is in, who is out
--------------

6. (C) According to a source within Fiji MFA, the IG is
actively pursuing bilateral assistance agreements with
Turkey, Italy, and Venezuela. (Note: The IG has also
obviously been cultivating China, Korea, India, and Malaysia,
part of a "look North" policy to find new friends since the
coup.) The source said the IG is attempting in particular to
find alternatives to Australian assistance, even for sectors
such as the judiciary and education where the Aussies have
continued post-coup aid.

Sensing opportunities in the EU?
--------------

7. (C) The MFA source said the IG perceives a split within
the EU delegation in Suva (the UK, France, and the EU
office). In IG meetings with the troika, when the UK makes
an anti-IG comment, the French ambassador has repeatedly said
in front of all: "That is not our position," implying Fiji's
government is Fiji's business. The MFA source said France is
looking at the possibility of opening up some bilateral
development-assistance links with the IG. MFA sees the
Brussels position as somewhere between the UK and France:
willing to work with the IG, but not so willing as the
French. (Note: the MFA's perception of French views may be
somewhat out of date. Certainly the French ambassador
frequently expressed the view in the past that Fiji's coup
was nowhere near as shattering as some African coups have
been. However, we hear all three troika members have lately
been on the same page in meetings, quite critical of the IG.)
A high-level EU delegation is due to visit Suva June 18-20
to evaluate the IG's efforts to date to fulfill Cotonou
Agreement pledges for a return to democracy.

Comment
--------------

8. (C) Bainimarama's messages from Vanuatu are fascinating,
if illogical. We expect he does believe the 2006 coup is
different from all past coups here. While some of his
motives and methods were considerably less pure than he now
describes, he most likely does think he can mandate a
positive transformation of Fiji society. And once
transformed, there surely will be no need for future coups.
He seems genuinely to be mystified why critics remain
critics. Why won't they just trust him? The most amazing
single sentence from the media interview may be the
following: "We want to have elections but we have to have
elections on my terms so that we can cut out this coup
mentality." Every day remains an interesting day in Fiji.
DINGER