The Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama believes that the New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer think that he has evil intentions to stay in power for a long time in Fiji.
More with our News Director, Vijay Narayan from Tonga.
Vijay Narayan: “Bainimarama says he has told the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum that the events of December last year were not a grab for power”.
Commodore Bainimarama: “Australia and New Zealand want us to be concrete on the roadmap. I don’t know how concrete they want us to be. We have given them all the signs that we want to head towards 2009 elections. But I get the impression they think I have evil intentions and that I want to stay around for the next 10 years. I can’t figure out why else would they would not come along with us. I told them that if we started off with the notion that what I did on the 5th of December was not a grab for power. It was not for oil or mahogany. It was to get our nation out of the mess we were getting into and to save the nation and its people. If we start off with that notion, then there would be no debate. I guess to them, as soon as the military takes over the government, there is evil intentions. And they can’t get that out of them. So they fight you all the way even though you come up with all the right answers”.
Vijay Narayan: “Bainimarama believes that following the formulation of the People’s Charter, the parties that have race based policies will be removed”.
Commodore Bainimarama: “The Charter will make sure that there is no racial discrimination again ever. That will be taken care of by the Charter. So anybody with Qarase’s policies who comes in, the Charter will automatically remove them. So there you go”.
Vijay Narayan: “Bainimarama has already made a commitment to the Pacific Islands Forum that the next elections will be held in March 2009. He has also told Village News that a referendum could be held after the formulation of the People’s Charter to ensure that he gets the views of all the people in the country. Bainimarama is currently attending some bilateral meetings as we continue with the post forum dialogue here in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. He is expected to speak to us soon after his meetings”.
The Interim Prime Minister is currently taking part in a series of meetings this afternoon in Tonga.
Our News Director, Vijay Narayan filed this report.
Vijay Narayan“Pacific Islands Leaders Forum are now back in Nuku’alofa after their successful leaders retreat on the Island of Vavau yesterday. Commodore Frank Bainimarama went around Vavau at about 10’o’clock after finishing leaders dinner he asked Tongan Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele to go to meet some of the members of the Tongan community and they went to about 4 villagers had doze of kava and finished off at about 1’o clock this morning. We have received confirmation that their one on one meeting is currently being held. Commodore Bainimarama has got a line ups of meetings with a group of leaders including some donors as the European Union officials are also here and are expected to meet with him. We have received confirmation that the meetings are underway now and we are expected to get further information from the Fiji delegations and the donors following these meetings. Fiji is now hoping that the donor community will come forward and assist the country after the firm commitment which was announced by Commodore Bainimarama yesterday that Fiji will go into elections by March 2009".
The Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama had earlier said that he does not know what more to tell the interim government’s critics after assuring elections in March 2009.
