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FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3853
INFO RUEHAP/AMEMBASSY APIA 0156
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1612
RUEHKN/AMEMBASSY KOLONIA 0188
RUEHMJ/AMEMBASSY MAJURO 0632
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 1192
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RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 0397
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0805
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017 
TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM ASEC FJ XV
SUBJECT: PACIFIC FORUM AND FIJI, UNCERTAINTY ABOUNDS 
 
REF: A. SUVA 150 
     ¶B. CANBERRA 363 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Sec. 1.4 (B,D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C) Fiji interim Foreign Minister Nailatikau has been 
seeking support from Pacific-island colleagues in the lead-up 
to the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) ministerial meeting in 
Vanuatu that will consider an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) 
report on Fiji.  With some island leaders becoming "reticent" 
but with Australia and New Zealand pressing for results, the 
meeting could be interesting.  PNG PM Somare reportedly 
remains upset with interim PM Bainimarama, though not with 
interim FM Nailatikau.  The PNG High Commissioner in Suva, at 
least, believes the ministerial will be a "moment of truth" 
for island leaders' commitment to democratic principles. 
Outcomes of the meeting might be to institute a Forum-Fiji 
working group to refine time lines for a return to democracy 
and/or various carrots to accelerate election preparations. 
Some rumors in Suva suggest Bainimarama may, before the 
meeting, rescind the state of emergency or make other 
cosmetic moves.  We'll see.  "Uncertainty" describes the 
pre-ministerial mood.  End summary. 
 
Fiji encouraging reticence among Pacific leaders 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶2. (C) Next Friday's PIF ministerial re Fiji has the region's 
attention.  Per ref A, PIF Secretary General Greg Urwin and 
his staff have sensed a "reticence" among regional leaders 
about the Fiji topic.  Urwin's impression is that the several 
weeks it has taken to arrange the Vanuatu meeting after the 
PIF Eminent Persons Group (EPG) issued its report have given 
Fiji interim Foreign Minister Nailatikau the opportunity to 
woo his colleagues.  Nailatikau has a long diplomatic history 
in the region - he was Fiji's roving Ambassador to the 
Pacific in the 1990s - and he has close family ties to 
Tonga's royalty.  Tonga PM Sevele seems clearly to be tilting 
toward Fiji.  With Australia and New Zealand clearly pressing 
for a rapid return to democratic governance but with a number 
of other PIF members seemingly not wanting to create waves 
with their neighbor Fiji, Urwin predicts an exciting meeting. 
 
PNG's Somare to Fiji: no MSG signing; but golf OK? 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶3. (C) PNG High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Eafeare tells us 
PM Somare remains very unhappy with Bainimarama's coup. 
Thus, Fiji (Bainimarama) will not be allowed to sign the 
Melanesian Spearhead Group "constitution" with other MSG 
heads of government in Vanuatu on March 23.  However, Somare 
has agreed that Nailatikau can be present to observe the 
event and have conversations.  Somare will fly to Vanuatu on 
Air New Guinea's inaugural flight to service the 
Moresby-Honiara-Port Vila-Nadi route.  Somare tentatively 
plans to continue on to Nadi to participate in an annual 
Fiji-PNG golf challenge with Nailatikau.  Eafeare has argued 
that the golf tournament is inappropriate given the Fiji coup 
and has asked Somare "please don't attend;" but it is not 
clear if Somare has agreed.   (Comment: Ref B's report of an 
Aussie belief that PNG, Solomon Islands, and Fiji leaders 
have formed an "unholy alliance" against good governance does 
not seem to jibe with Eafeare's depiction of at least the 
Somare-Bainimarama strained relationship.) 
 
Ministerial a "reality check" for Pacific leaders 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶4. (C) Eafeare said his advice to Port Moresby is that the 
PIF ministerial in Vanuatu is a "reality check" for Pacific 
nations' basic principles.  It is a "moment of truth," and 
regional leaders need to back up the EPG report.  Eafeare is 
certain Fiji, itself, leaked the EPG report, and leaked a 
Bainimarama letter to Somare decrying the EPG leak, as part 
of a campaign to portray the report as the product of 
Australia and New Zealand connivance.  For the ministerial, 
Forum leaders are not yet decided on procedures.  Presumably, 
Fiji's representatives will be allowed an intervention to 
provide the interim government's views of the EPG report. 
Thereafter, will Fiji be allowed to remain in the room? 
Since the PIF has not yet suspended Fiji, Eafeare figures 
Fiji reps retain a right to be present; however, other 
leaders may suggest to Fiji reps that it would be best to 
leave so other PIF leaders can freely discuss next steps. 
 
SUVA 00000155  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Time lines and carrots 
---------------------- 
¶5. (C) Eafeare figures the key issues in Vanuatu will be the 
differing EPG and Bainimarama time lines for a return to 
democracy in Fiji, and the EPG recommendation for Bainimarama 
and the RFMF to remove themselves from politics.  Eafeare 
thinks ministers may take up Bainimarama's suggestion of a 
Fiji/Forum working group to "further refine" the EPG time 
line.  The ministers may also offer assistance to fast-track 
a census, electoral-system reforms, etc, with the aim to see 
an election within 18 months.  The ministers might also offer 
help to investigate allegations of corruption by providing 
non-Fijian experts.  Eafeare said PNG's Foreign Minister was 
inclined to skip the Vanuatu meeting, but probably has been 
convinced to attend.  Eafeare will be present, as well. 
 
Might Fiji sweeten the pot? 
--------------------------- 
¶6. (C) Fiji may be preparing to make a move or two to 
influence the atmosphere in Vanuatu.  Eafeare said interim 
PermSec in the Fiji Prime Ministerial office, Parmesh Chand, 
indicated Fiji's state of emergency will be lifted next week. 
 (Note: we have heard similar rumors, including from 
Bainimarama, several times before with no actual change in 
the state of emergency, but one never knows.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (C) There is considerable uncertainty about how the 
Vanuatu meeting will unfold.  A public statement by 
Australian FM Downer that suggested his government was 
calling, if not orchestrating, the meeting, and a 
continuation of Australian and New Zealand sharp exchanges 
with Bainimarama have undoubtedly rankled some island leaders 
who view the Aussies as unnecessarily patronizing.  Still, 
the EPG team, which concluded it had been previously misled 
by the Fiji MFA and which put forth a strong report, has 
influenced leader thinking.  Bainimarama has tried to color 
the EPG as an Aussie/Kiwi puppet, but Vanuatu chairman Kilman 
with his PNG, Samoa, and Aussie co-members made their own 
judgments, and presumably island leaders are aware of that. 
It is not surprising that a number of island leaders, who 
never like public confrontation with colleagues, are feeling 
"reticent."   With all that, PIF SecGen Urwin's sense of 
uncertainty about the ministerial's outcome mirrors our own. 
DINGER