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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR FJ NZ CH
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER PETERS' VISIT TO FIJI 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Larry M. Dinger per 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
¶1.   (C)  Summary.  According to New Zealand's High 
Commissioner to Fiji, the visit of Foreign Minister Winston 
Peters met all of New Zealand's objectives.  Peters delivered 
messages about the importance of democracy and the rule of 
law and the need for positive civil-military relations.  Both 
PM Qarase and opposition leader Chaudhry expressed confidence 
to Peters about winning the upcoming election.  Fiji's CEO of 
Foreign Affairs told us he and Foreign Minister Tavola 
stressed the importance of engaging with Pacific Island 
nations in order to counter Chinese moves in the region. 
They also urged Peters to rethink New Zealand's nuclear 
policy in order to improve relations with the U.S.  Peters 
reportedly stated that some changes in that policy might be 
considered.  End summary. 
 
¶2.   (C)  Michael Green, New Zealand High Commissioner to 
Fiji, told Ambassador and visiting EAP/ANP Director Krawitz 
that Foreign Minister Winston Peters' visit was highly 
successful.  He was well received everywhere he went in Fiji, 
and had a good mix of office calls and activities, such as 
visiting New Zealand-supported aid projects.  Peters proved 
to be effective, said Green, in delivering messages about the 
importance of democracy, the rule of law and stable 
civil-military relations.  Key meetings included calls on the 
Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of 
Finance (mostly related to aid projects), the Speaker of 
Parliament, opposition Labor Party leader Chaudhry, and Fiji 
Military Forces Commander Bainimarama. 
 
Elections 
--------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Prime Minister Qarase told Peters he is anxious to 
hold the elections early.  Qarase was confident of victory, 
stating that in addition to his support in the indigenous 
Fijian community, he has considerable support among 
Indo-Fijian businesspeople and in that community in general. 
Nevertheless, the PM recognizes that opposition leader 
Chaudhry is an experienced and wily campaigner.  Qarase said 
he is taking nothing for granted.  The main issues Qarase's 
SDL Party will campaign on are health, education and the 
alleviation of poverty.   The SDL expects to choose many new 
faces to run for seats in Parliament.  There could be as much 
as a 50% turnover of current SDL MPs. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Chaudhry told Peters that he, too, is prepared for 
the election.  He noted, with an obvious reference to the 
1999 election and the events that followed, that "the problem 
is not winning, but keeping the job."  Chaudhry said he would 
focus on economic issues in the campaign, stating the ruling 
party has failed the country on issues like health, jobs, 
education, and poverty.  Chaudhry had some surprising words 
of praise for Fiji's electoral commission, stating the office 
has responded positively to complaints about possible 
registration and election irregularities he had raised. 
 
Civil-Military Relations 
------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (C)  In his meeting with Commander Bainimarama, Peters 
stressed the importance of proper civil-military relations 
and the need for differences to be resolved via 
constitutional means.  Green said Bainimarama gave every 
indication he understood the message.  Green noted that 
Peters and Bainimarama know each other well, and had spent 
considerable time together in Wellington pubs during the 
"Wellington 7s" rugby tournament a few years back.  In 
interviews with media after the meeting, Bainimarama said he 
and Peters talked about the military relationship between 
Fiji and New Zealand and the need to strengthen military ties 
between Fiji, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, and 
Papua New Guinea. 
 
Unity Bill 
---------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  Green said the Reconciliation, Unity and Tolerance 
Bill was not a major subject of discussion during Peters' 
meetings.  Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said 
the government has handled the Bill very poorly and has been 
forced to put in on the shelf.  Chaudhry said the Bill would 
not be discussed this parliamentary session.  Bainimarama, 
 
SUVA 00000056  002 OF 002 
 
 
the most vocal critic of the Bill, did not mention it. 
 
Meeting with Foreign Ministry: 
Focus on China, NZ's Nuclear Policy 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  Isikeli Mataitoga, CEO of Foreign Affairs, told the 
Ambassador and Krawitz that he and Foreign Minister Tavola 
encouraged Peters to "do something about" New Zealand's 
nuclear policy in order to improve relations with the United 
States.  Peters responded that New Zealand might consider 
making some changes to that policy, but did not elaborate. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Tavola and Mataitoga stressed the growing role of 
China in the region, and said New Zealand and other developed 
countries needed to work harder to counteract China. 
Mataitoga said the impact of dollar diplomacy and other games 
the PRC and Taiwan have been playing in the region is very 
destabilizing, especially for the "more susceptible" smaller 
Pacific states.  Frequent changes in government, he 
continued, are not good for the region, especially in dealing 
with regional issues like counter-terrorism and money 
laundering.  Tavola and Mataitoga suggested that the best way 
to counteract PRC and Taiwan dollar diplomacy is by helping 
build the economies of the Pacific.  One obvious step, he 
said, would be to open up New Zealand and Australia's labor 
markets to workers from the Pacific Island states. 
 
¶9.  (C)  Comment:  Peters' message about the proper role of 
the military adds to the long roll-call of visitors who have 
hammered on that theme.  As the country heads into election 
season, another reiteration of the need for democracy and the 
rule of law is always welcome. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DINGER