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Political Reviews Political Reviews The Region in Review: International Issues and Events, 2009 nic maclellan Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events, 2009 david chappell, jon fraenkel, solomon kantha, gordon leua nanau, howard van trease, muridan widjojo © 2010 by University of Hawai‘i Press 399 The Region in Review: International Issues and Events, 2009 The suspension of Fiji’s interim and that election is held by the end of administration from membership December 2009” (Forum Secretariat in the Pacific Islands Forum (pif) 2009a). dominated regional affairs in 2009. After the January meeting, Baini- With Australia taking over as Forum marama stated: “The Forum has gone chair after the August 2009 Forum beyond its mandate. The Forum was leaders meeting in Cairns, the political never meant to determine what type isolation of Fiji has had impacts on of government members should have. regional aid, trade, and development. Indeed, the Forum was never to decide At the same time, there is increas- when an election in a member state ing debate over the capacity of should be held” (Cooney 2009). regional organizations to respond to Any possibility of an early the challenges of climate change and announcement on elections was the global economic crisis, as donor dashed when the military reacted to countries work to better coordinate the Fiji Court of Appeal ruling in development assistance and Pacific the case of Qarase v Bainimarama, governments extend diplomatic links brought by ousted Prime Minister to new players in the region. Laisenia Qarase. On 9 April 2009, the Throughout 2009, the Pacific faced court ruled that the 2006 coup was a number of natural disasters and the “illegal” and the postcoup creation of year ended with Island governments an interim administration “invalid.” and community organizations raising On 10 April, Fiji President Ratu Sir the profile of vulnerable atoll nations Josefa Iloilo formally abrogated the at the Copenhagen climate negotia- 1997 Fiji Constitution. Backed by the tions. However, most delegates left the military-led interim administration, Danish capital disappointed, as the the president dismissed senior judges summit ended without a legally bind- and statutory officeholders. He then ing treaty to mandate global action on issued a decree allowing himself to the adverse effects of climate change. appoint a prime minister, opening the After Fiji Interim Prime Minister way for the reappointment of Baini- Voreqe Bainimarama failed to attend marama and his interim ministers. the 2008 Pacific Islands Forum in Ruling by decree, the interim Niue, Forum leaders held a special administration moved to extend emer- meeting in Port Moresby on 27 Janu- gency regulations that limit public ary 2009 to discuss the restoration of gatherings and allow media censor- democracy in Fiji. Bainimarama again ship. Over the coming months, these failed to attend, and regional leaders powers were used to harass reporters agreed they would move to suspend and critics of the regime, including Fiji from Forum membership unless the Methodist Church, whose annual “the Fiji Interim Government nomi- conference was banned (Amnesty nates an election date by 1 May 2009 International 2009). With serving 400 pol i t ical reviews • region 401 military officers taking key public ser- Bainimarama stated that the Fiji gov- vice positions (including naval officer ernment would not finalize electoral Esala Teleni as police commissioner), reform until 2012 or hold elections domestic critics faced new restrictions until 2014. Reacting to criticism by that constrained public criticism of the Church and community leaders, the military as well as the right to strike. military extended the ban on Method- Opponents of the regime used blogs ist Church conferences until 2014 and to send information internationally, introduced new decrees to crack down as mainstream media faced censorship on opponents (such as the threat to of any broadcast or publication that, reduce government pensions for crit- according to President Iloilo, “could ics). cause disorder, promote disaffection or In the lead-up to the annual Forum public alarm or undermine the govern- meeting in August, held in Cairns, ment or state of Fiji” (Gordon 2009). Australia, some Pacific leaders As the Forum’s May deadline expressed unease about the regional passed, Forum Chair Toke Talagi, pre- isolation of Fiji, including Sëmoa’s mier of Niue, announced on 2 May: Head of State His Highness Tui Atua “It is with considerable sorrow and Tupua Tamasese and Melanesian disappointment that I confirm the sus- Prime Ministers Derek Sikua (Solo- pension of the current military regime mon Islands), Sir Michael Somare in the Republic of the Fiji Islands, (Papua New Guinea), and Edward from full participation in the Pacific Natapei (Vanuatu). In Cairns, how- Islands Forum, with immediate effect ever, Forum leaders reaffirmed Fiji’s from 2 May 2009. This decision suspension from the regional body, does not amount to the expulsion of with the proviso that members of the Fiji, as a nation, from its member- Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) ship of the Forum. That proposition could maintain dialogue with Fiji gov- has not been considered by leaders in ernment and officials. their deliberations. As such, the Pacific For months, the Fiji interim admin- Islands Forum remains a 16-member istration refused to back down on its body and the Republic of the Fiji delay of elections, and regional rela- Islands continues to be part of the tions—especially with Australia, New Forum group of nations, albeit with Zealand, and some Polynesian lead- participation of the current regime ers—remained stressed. Travel bans by suspended until further notice” (Talagi the United States, Australia, and New 2009). Zealand on Fiji government ministers, Fiji was also suspended from the officials, judges, and their families Commonwealth in September after the were maintained. In November, the interim administration failed to meet a interim administration expelled the Commonwealth deadline of 1 Septem- Australian high commissioner and the ber for committing to rejoin negotia- third in a series of acting New Zea- tions with the Opposition and to hold land high commissioners from Suva; credible elections by October 2010. in turn, Canberra declared Fiji’s acting In response to domestic and high commissioner persona non grata international pressure, Commodore in Australia. The interim administra- 402 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) tion then ordered Fiji-born Australian By year’s end, only Solomon academic Brij V Lal (one of the team Islands, Australia, and New Zealand who had developed the country’s 1997 had formally replied to Fiji’s diplo- constitution) to leave the country. His matic initiative on pacer, and Fiji wife, Padma Narsey Lal, was also authorities expressed disappointment refused entry to Fiji to continue her with the “casual stance” of the Forum work on environment and develop- Secretariat in facilitating consulta- ment research in January 2010. tions, as part of its legal obligations By the end of 2009, the New under article 15 of the treaty. Fiji Zealand government indicated that it Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke was willing to engage with the interim Kubuabola protested against the administration, opening the way exclusion of Fiji from pacer-related for new dialogue. But there were a events, including pacer-Plus meetings. number of ongoing disputes, especially In spite of these problems, many over regional trade. Fiji citizens continue to play a role in In June 2009, Fiji invoked provi- regional initiatives; for example, in sions of the 2001 Pacific Agreement May, Sakiusa Rabuka was appointed on Closer Economic Relations (pacer) to replace Dr Lesi Korovavala as the treaty, calling for consultations to new Pacific Islands Forum represen- address its suspension from the tative in Solomon Islands, to assist pacer-Plus negotiations (which aim with greater Forum engagement in the to develop a new regional free trade Regional Assistance Mission to Solo- agreement linking Australia, New mon Islands (ramsi). Zealand, and Forum Island countries). Throughout 2009, key donor However, the Australian govern- nations have been promoting ment disputed Fiji’s claim that pacer improved development effectiveness is a stand-alone treaty that is indepen- and aid coordination in the region. dent from the Agreement Establishing This renewed focus comes as Islands the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. export revenue, tourism receipts, and In August, Australian Trade Minister remittances have all been affected by Simon Crean stated that pacer-Plus the global downturn. Western govern- “is completely separate from the ments are also concerned that a range pacer agreement. I recognize the of players—from China and Taiwan similar names (pacer and pacer- to Cuba and Iran—are increasing aid Plus) have the potential to be confus- funding without the conditionality ing. But what is disingenuous in that that Organization for Economic confusion is the attempt by some to Co-operation and Development find a legal link between the two for (oecd) countries demand. the purposes of the Fiji issue” (Crean In April 2009, Australian Prime 2009). In response, nongovernmental Minister Kevin Rudd stood alongside organization activists highlighted a his PNG counterpart, Sir Michael series of statements by the Australian Somare, and acknowledged that government showing that pacer-Plus Australia’s aid program in Papua New is a continuation of the picta-pacer Guinea was top-heavy with consul- process (pang 2009). tants, with too little action on the pol i t ical reviews • region 403 ground: “Too much money has been Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. consumed by consultants and not After developing a local policy called enough money was actually delivered the Pacific Principles on Aid Effective- to essential assistance in teaching, in ness, which was adopted in Palau in infrastructure, in health services on the July 2007, regional leaders endorsed ground, in the villages, across Papua a new statement at the Cairns Forum New Guinea” (Rudd 2009).
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