FORUM MINISTERS HOLD FIRM ON FIJI ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000287

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR FJ
SUBJECT: FORUM MINISTERS HOLD FIRM ON FIJI ELECTIONS

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

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

1. (C) Pacific Island Forum Foreign Ministers who met with
Interim PM Bainimarama July 15-16 delivered a unified, firm
message that they expect Bainimarama to fulfill his promise
to Forum Leaders to hold elections no later than March 2009.
Ministers were reportedly "shocked" at statements by the
Chairman of Fiji's Electoral Commission who said all election
preparations had been put on hold pending a decision on
future electoral reforms. A statement to the press by
Bainimarama that the Ministers "understood" the need to have
reforms before elections take place is simply untrue.
Ministers agreed that certain reforms may be worthy of
consideration, but firmly and repeatedly stressed that
election reform was secondary in importance to adhering to
the 3/09 election commitment. End Summary.

A Very Timely Set of Meetings
--------------

2. (C) The High Commissioners of Papua New Guinea,
Australia, and New Zealand briefed representatives of the
U.S. and the EU on the just concluded Forum Ministerial
Contact Group meetings in Fiji on July 17. Peter Eafeare,
the PNG High Commissioner, told us the meetings were
extremely useful and timely in light of the recent signals
given by the Interim Government that elections will not take
place as planned by March 2009. Eafeare said the IG approach
was quite blunt - Bainimarama and others repeatedly alleged
that through visa and other sanctions, Australia and New
Zealand have hindered IG attempts to "move Fiji forward." A
more understanding attitude from Forum nations is necessary
if Fiji is to make the kind of progress the Forum countries
say they want. The Ministers did not take the bait or get
into a "tit for tat" blame game. Instead they repeatedly
stressed the need for Fiji to fulfill its commitment to hold
elections and stated they were willing to assist should Fiji
show it is making a good faith effort to meet it promises.
In response to IG complaints about visa sanctions, Australian
Foreign Minister Smith told IG officials the choice was the
IG's - if the IG wants visa sanctions to be removed, then it
should hold an election.

Bainimarama, Electoral Commission Chair Say
Elections are Secondary to Political Reforms
--------------


3. (C) Australian High Commissioner James Batley noted that
Bainimarama's prepared remarks to Ministers offered nothing
new. He read from what appears to be the same letter he had
sent to Forum Chair Tonga a few weeks ago. (Note:
Bainimarama sent virtually the same letter to Secretary
Rice.) In the question and answer period, Bainimarama was
more revealing. In response to a question from FM Smith,
Bainimarama said that the March 2009 election timetable was
secondary to the enactment of political reforms. Political
reforms, Bainimarama later explained, refer to sweeping
changes in Fiji mindsets and institutions, not merely a
change in the electoral system. Bainimarama further argued
that the Fiji military is the only institution capable of
seeing such reforms through.


4. (C) Batley said Ministers were "shocked" by statements
by the Chair of Fiji's Electoral Commission, M.K. Sahu Khan.
Khan told Ministers that the elections office would not
undertake any electoral preparations until planned reforms
were enacted. After the reforms are put in place another 15
months of preparations are needed before elections can be
held, he said. Ministers were also taken aback by the paltry
budget given the Elections Office and the fact that the
Ministry of Finance has still not released funds needed to
staff up the office (currently the office has about five
employees).


5. (C) Batley said that when Ministers inquired into the
timeline for the reforms mentioned by Bainimarama, Khan and
others, they never got a clear answer. It appeared to
Ministers, said Batley, that the IG is still making things up
as it goes along and has no firm plan on how to push through
reforms or prepare the country for elections. Batley noted
that New Zealand FM Peters and others agreed that certain
reforms might be worthy of consideration, but stressed the
need to pursue reforms within the constitution and hold
elections by March. Bainimarama's statement to the press
that Ministers "understood" that reforms need to be in place

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before elections can be held is untrue. "That's something he
(Bainimarama) just made up," said Batley.

Meetings with Qarase and Others
--------------


6. (C) Batley said the meetings with deposed PM Qarase,
former opposition leader Beddoes and National Federation
Party leader Rae were all extremely useful, as was a
conference call with Commonwealth envoy Sir Paul Reeves. All
of the leaders are more than willing to engage in dialogue
with Bainimarama and the interim regime, but all set strict
conditions for such talks. Qarase, for example, told
Ministers that he is willing to entertain changing the
electoral system, but only under the terms of the 1997
constitution. He will not accept any changes in the
constitution made prior to an election.

Samoa Plays A Key Role; A Unified
Group of Forum Ministers
--------------


7. (C) New Zealand Acting HC Caroline McDonald stressed the
important role played by Samoan PM Tuila'epa Sailela
Malielegaoi during the meetings. The Prime Minister
pointedly noted to Bainimarama that he had "heard you
clearly" when Bainimarama made his commitment to hold
elections by March 2009 and that he and the other Forum
leaders expected that commitment to be met. Tuila'epa's
seniority enabled him to deliver a very clear message to the
IG. Batley and Eafeare agreed that all the Forum Ministers
present (from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, PNG and Samoa)
presented a very united front. None appeared to be swayed by
IG arguments that elections might need to be delayed. PNG
HC Eafeare said that while some leaders, including his own
PM, have at times passed relatively conciliatory messages to
Bainimarama, he was confident that Leaders at the upcoming
Forum meeting in Niue would deliver the same firm message as
this Ministerial Contact Group.

Draft Recommendations to Leaders in the Works
--------------


8. (C) The High Commissioners said a set recommendations
to Forum Leaders was in the process of being drafted. While
they couldn't divulge the precise contents, the High
Commissioners noted that the Ministers are keen to have the
Forum reassert its role in pressing Fiji toward elections.
The Ministers want the Forum to play a role in any future
dialogue among political leaders in Fiji, perhaps taking on a
monitoring or oversight function. The Ministers will also
recommend that the Forum take "additional measures" should
Fiji fail to honor its commitments. Those measures remain
unspecified and will depend on actual future circumstances.

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


9. (C) As has been the case in all Forum-sponsored meetings
between the IG and Forum Leaders or Ministers, the
Ministerial Contact Group delivered a powerful, united
message to Bainimarama about the need to fulfill his promise
to hold elections next year. Forum Leaders are likely to
deliver the same tough message in Niue next month.
Unfortunately, Bainimarama seems determined not to listen.





Mann