Despite Fiji's suspension from the Commonwealth, a major step will be taken in the next few weeks which will see one of the headquarters of the Commonwealth to be based in Suva.
Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamlesh Sharma who was at the Pacific Forum in Niue has revealed to Radio Australia that the Commonwealth is not in the business of victimising member nations but helping them to overcome their problems.
“Fiji is suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth is not in the business of leaning on member states. We do it cooperatively. For instance, whatever collaboration programs there are that are going on, for instance, regional ones, there is a regional environmental program of governance, which will shortly be inaugurated there and it will be headquartered in Suva. And we have selected the expert managing it and in September hopefully he will be deployed there. So our cooperation with member states continues while we work on the constitutional side.”
Sharma is still hopeful that Fiji will have elections by March 2009.
“The commitment which has been given by Fiji to the forum leaders is to hold the elections in March next year, and as far as the Commonwealth is concerned, the matter is under consideration of a ministerial contact group, and the ministerial action group has also indicated that that is the commitment which the Commonwealth expects will be honoured. This is the commitment that Fiji has made and we are hoping that they would abide by this.”
Meanwhile NZ Prime Minister, Helen Clark has raised concern on the Commonwealth setting up its headquarters on a regional environmental programme on governance in Suva.
“It is unfortunate that the host country for significant regional institutions and missions, diplomatic missions, is the country which just got through these coups and is very unstable for everybody.”
There are now revelations that Ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase sent a letter to the Pacific Forum Chairman in Niue.
Qarase informed the forum that its 20 months since his government was removed and there is still no concrete evidence on the allegations levelled against his government, which was used for their removal.
Qarase said in the letter he briefed the Forum leaders on the political situation in Fiji and that elections can still be held in March next year under the 1997 constitution.
He believes the interim government is making excuses just to delay elections in March next year.
“It was a very brief report in the form of a letter and I think it was necessary for me to write that letter. But particularly in view of the statement issued by Commodore Bainimarama to the Forum and that statement contains a lot of misinformation, false information and distortion. So I’m glad that I did send that letter to the Pacific Forum leaders. Apart from briefing the Forum leaders, I once again stress the need and urgency for Fiji to return to democratic rule and I again urge them to try and persuade Fiji to honour the promise given in Tonga.”
The General Secretary of the National Federation Party said the Interim Government should think again about its announcement to hold elections in the next 12 to 15 months.
Pramod Rae said this decision is not only being talked about in the Pacific Forum but can also stop aid from other countries.
“The aid that hinges on a commitment to an election within the timeframe already agreed will now not be coming. The uncertainties surrounding the activities of the regime will continue. I think business confidence will further erode. And we are not likely to turn around to an economic recovery in the near future. Everything hinges on a commitment to an election and this kind of uncertainty, after all the 18 months really is not telling us anything at all. So if the regime wants to regain any of its credibility, they must learn to honour its obligation, they must learn to honour their commitments.”
However Fiji Labour Party and former Interim Finance Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry said this is a wrong move by the forum.
Chaudhry said everyone in Fiji, the Pacific Forum and the international community should understand that elections cannot be held in the first quarter of next year.
He said the electoral system has to change first as the current system will not pass the test of democracy under the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
On the threat of suspension from the forum at the end of this year if Fiji does not have election in March 2009, Chaudhry said it will be the forum that will lose out if Fiji is suspended.
“Forum should be more concerned about assisting Fiji and resolving this particular issue and not putting it into a corner and making demands on it. I feel that Forum would be weakened without Fiji’s presence. I don’t think in the long term Fiji has much to lose if it’s not the member of the forum to be quite honest. I myself had reservations about the usefulness of the forum. Because I see it largely as an organization dominated by Australia and then by New Zealand, Island nations have had very little to say in shaping the forum and it is time the Island nations took a little assertive position with regard to what the forum should be doing, how its policies should be formulated and not be pushed around by Australia or New Zealand.”
