The Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama has been invited to a dinner hosted by Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon, at which the main topic of conversation will be the political situation in Fiji.
Vijay Narayan, our reporter in Nuku'alofa has this report.
Vijay Narayan reports: Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon has invited Fiji’s Interim PM Commodore Frank Bainimarama to a dinner hosted by him to try to speak to Bainimarama about the situation in Fiji. While speaking in Nuku’Alofa today, McKinnon confirmed that the invitation has been sent to all the Pacific island leaders including NZ PM Helen Clark and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. McKinnon says he is looking forward to meeting with Bainimarama this week and discussing the progress to democracy in Fiji.
Don McKinnon: I don’t think so really. You see as Commonwealth Secretary General, when the Commonwealth suspends a member country as was done with Fiji, the Secretary General has a responsibility to give in to dialogue with the leader of whatever. I encourage them to come back into the democratic frame and back into a full democracy. So it’s my job to give in to dialogue with the Commodore.
The Pacific Island Leaders Forum officially starts tomorrow.
Bainimarama was accompanied by Permanent Secretary to the PM's Office, Parmesh Chand, Interim Attorney General, Aiyaz Saiyad Khaiyum and Interim Commerce Minister, Taito Waradi.
McKinnon invites Interim PM for dinner
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