Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09WELLINGTON55
2009-02-27 04:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Wellington
Cable title:
NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER INSISTS COMMONWEALTH
how-toVZCZCXRO4105 PP RUEHPB DE RUEHWL #0055 0580432 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 270432Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0221 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5772 INFO RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA PRIORITY 0853 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 5461 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0339 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0838 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000055
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV FJ NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER INSISTS COMMONWEALTH
HOLD THE LINE ON FIJI
Classified By: Embassy Wellington CDA David J. Keegan. Reasons E.O. 129
58, 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000055
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV FJ NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER INSISTS COMMONWEALTH
HOLD THE LINE ON FIJI
Classified By: Embassy Wellington CDA David J. Keegan. Reasons E.O. 129
58, 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Charge met with Foreign Minister Murray McCully
February 26 at his request. McCully said that he is departing
over the weekend for London to participate in the
Commonwealth Meeting on Fiji. He explained that Papua New
Guinea Foreign Minister Samuel Abal and himself would be the
two Pacific participants in the meeting. He added that the
PNG FM would be a strong voice at the meeting and would be
"less mercurial" than PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
2. (C) Two years after the Commonwealth suspended Fiji in
response to Commodore Frank Bainimarama's coup, McCully said,
the Commonwealth meeting should move to take further steps on
Fiji as its rules call for. When McCully spoke to Abal
recently by phone, Abal said that his position on the matter
was equally clear: "two years is two years is two years." The
Commonwealth should also show that it is prepared to defer to
the Pacific Island Forum (PIF),which has spoken clearly on
Fiji. McCully rejected claims that the PIF and its posture on
Fiji are being directed by Australia and New Zealand. He
noted that the outspoken comments earlier in the week by
Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Aiono Sailele
Malielegoai, subsequently endorsed by Tonga PM Feleti Sevele,
provided clear evidence that the Pacific Island Countries
themselves were strongly concerned about Fiji. The only
exceptions, McCully suggested, might be Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Otherwise he was confident that the PIF would hold solidly to
its commitme
nt to suspend Fiji in May. He added, however, that MFAT
officials were less confident on this score than he was.
3. (C) McCully said that New Zealand remained committed to
being helpful to Fiji, and the government will avoid any
public confrontations, but he said he saw no evidence that
Fiji interim leader Frank Bainimarama had any inclination to
accept such help. Nor would he be influenced by any change in
the sanctions against him. Bainimarama has no interest under
current conditions in moving toward democracy or in stepping
down from his position of leadership in Fiji. He has "settled
in for the long haul." If the Pacific Island Forum, the
Commonwealth, or others reduce sanctions against the regime,
Bainimarama will pocket the "victory." After the Commonwealth
meeting, the next landmark would be the PIF meeting in May.
Fiji needs to listen, McCully said, but he confessed he was
not optimistic.
KEEGAN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV FJ NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER INSISTS COMMONWEALTH
HOLD THE LINE ON FIJI
Classified By: Embassy Wellington CDA David J. Keegan. Reasons E.O. 129
58, 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Charge met with Foreign Minister Murray McCully
February 26 at his request. McCully said that he is departing
over the weekend for London to participate in the
Commonwealth Meeting on Fiji. He explained that Papua New
Guinea Foreign Minister Samuel Abal and himself would be the
two Pacific participants in the meeting. He added that the
PNG FM would be a strong voice at the meeting and would be
"less mercurial" than PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
2. (C) Two years after the Commonwealth suspended Fiji in
response to Commodore Frank Bainimarama's coup, McCully said,
the Commonwealth meeting should move to take further steps on
Fiji as its rules call for. When McCully spoke to Abal
recently by phone, Abal said that his position on the matter
was equally clear: "two years is two years is two years." The
Commonwealth should also show that it is prepared to defer to
the Pacific Island Forum (PIF),which has spoken clearly on
Fiji. McCully rejected claims that the PIF and its posture on
Fiji are being directed by Australia and New Zealand. He
noted that the outspoken comments earlier in the week by
Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Aiono Sailele
Malielegoai, subsequently endorsed by Tonga PM Feleti Sevele,
provided clear evidence that the Pacific Island Countries
themselves were strongly concerned about Fiji. The only
exceptions, McCully suggested, might be Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Otherwise he was confident that the PIF would hold solidly to
its commitme
nt to suspend Fiji in May. He added, however, that MFAT
officials were less confident on this score than he was.
3. (C) McCully said that New Zealand remained committed to
being helpful to Fiji, and the government will avoid any
public confrontations, but he said he saw no evidence that
Fiji interim leader Frank Bainimarama had any inclination to
accept such help. Nor would he be influenced by any change in
the sanctions against him. Bainimarama has no interest under
current conditions in moving toward democracy or in stepping
down from his position of leadership in Fiji. He has "settled
in for the long haul." If the Pacific Island Forum, the
Commonwealth, or others reduce sanctions against the regime,
Bainimarama will pocket the "victory." After the Commonwealth
meeting, the next landmark would be the PIF meeting in May.
Fiji needs to listen, McCully said, but he confessed he was
not optimistic.
KEEGAN