BAINIMARAMA RECEIVES "UNDERSTANDING" FROM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000244

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV FJ
SUBJECT: BAINIMARAMA RECEIVES "UNDERSTANDING" FROM
MELANESIAN LEADERS

REF: SUVA 224

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


1. (C) Summary. A dispirited Papua New Guinea High
Commissioner to Fiji, Peter Eafeare, described the May 29-30
Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit in Vanuatu as a
setback in the effort to ensure Fiji's interim government
(IG) holds elections as promised next March. Language in the
Summit Joint Communique expressing the leaders understanding
of the situation in Fiji and extending support for the IG's
"objective of building a better Fiji," will likely be
portrayed by the IG as an endorsement of the People's Charter
process Bainimarama has stated will take precedence over
elections. Eafeare said the MSG stance will likely
complicate efforts to keep the pressure on Fiji at the
upcoming Pacific Island Forum Leaders' Meeting in Niue. End
summary.

MSG Communique Stresses Understanding of Fiji Situation;
Appears to Endorse People's Charter Process
-------------- --------------

2. (C) PNG High Commissioner Eafeare shared with us today a
copy of the Joint Communique from the 17th Melanesian
Spearhead Group Leaders' Summit, held in Port Vila, Vanuatu
May 29-30. (We are sending a scanned copy of the Communique
to EAP/ANP via unclassified e-mail.) As noted reftel, Fiji
media reports from Port Vila had indicated that Bainimarama
received a sympathetic response to his explanations for the
2006 coup and his vision for Fiji's future. Eafeare said the
language the MSG leaders adopted in the Communique does not
merely express sympathy or understanding; it could be viewed
as a positive endorsement of the interim regime's policies.
The Communique states:

"Leaders expressed their understanding of the situation and
extended support to Fiji towards their efforts in re-engaging
with Pacific members, dialogue partners and other friends to
achieve the objectives of building a better Fiji."


3. (C) While the above language does not specifically
mention the People's Charter, the meaning is clear, since
Charter is being drafted by the "National Council for
Building a Better Fiji" (NCBBF). Eafeare said that by
focusing on the Charter, the Communique language undercuts
the Pacific Island Forum's and his own personal efforts as
Chair of the Forum-Fiji Joint Working Group to keep steady
pressure on the IG to hold free and fair elections no later
than March 2009. Even the section of the Communique on
elections, he said, was sugar-coated, listing the various
actions the IG has taken to prepare for elections (completing
a census; appointing a Deputy Supervisor of Elections, etc.)
but avoiding reference to the many delays and roadblocks to
elections devised by the IG. (Note: Eafeare said IG Foreign
Minister Nailatikau had a direct hand in drafting some of the
Communique, going so far as to dictate the list of IG
accomplishments contained in the document.) Eafeare said he
thoroughly briefed PNG PM Somare on election related problems
but the PM and his counterparts chose to accent only the
positive. The only advice of Eafeare's the PMs chose to take
was a positive reference to the Forum Foreign Ministers'
outcome statement from their meeting in Auckland earlier in
the year. In that statement, the Foreign Ministers were
quite firm in holding Fiji to the early 2009 election
deadline.

MSG Stance Complicating the Forum's Work?
--------------

4. (C) Eafeare told us the MSG stance would undoubtedly
encourage the IG to press for a more "understanding" response
from Forum Leaders in Niue this August. He hopes that does
not happen and noted that he "has a lot of work to do" to
ensure his own government does not repeat the "mistakes it
made in Vanuatu." Eafeare insisted that he would
characterize the MSG language to his IG interlocutors as just
that - a mistake.

Comment - Forum Needs to Keep the Pressure On
--------------

5. (C) Keeping the pressure on Bainimarama in Niue is more
important that ever given the disappointing actions of MSG
leaders in Vanuatu. We know that Australia, New Zealand and
Pacific Island states like Samoa will hold up their end of
the bargain. Whether PNG, Vanuatu, the Solomons and others
(including current Forum Chair Tonga) will do likewise

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remains unclear.

DINGER