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DE RUEHSV #0176/01 1282008
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P 082008Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1187
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2231
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0417
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000176 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO EAP ACTING A/S DAVIES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL FJ KDEM
 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH FORMER PM CHAUDHRY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On May 7, I met with former prime minister and 
leader of the Fiji Labor Party (FLP) Mahendra Chaudhry.  We 
discussed the situation in Fiji following the abrogation of its 
constitution and possible ways forward for the country.  He said 
that the abrogation was a lost opportunity and ended any viable 
resolution that included the political parties.  Chaudhry supports 
amnesty for de facto Prime Minister Bainimarama if he withdraws from 
the political scene and allows for a coalition government to lead 
the country to elections.  He responded favorably to my suggestion 
to meet with deposed PM Laisenia Qarase but said it should be a 
one-on-one meeting so they could resolve their longstanding 
differences.  End summary. 
 
ABROGATION, A LOST OPPORTUNITY 
------------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) In a private meeting on May 7, I met with former prime 
minister and FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry to discuss the situation 
in Fiji following the abrogation of its constitution as well as 
possible future steps to return the country to democratic 
governance.  Chaudhry said he was disappointed with de facto PM 
Frank Bainimarama's actions and saw the abrogation as a lost 
opportunity.  He was concerned that there is little chance the 
President's Political Dialogue Forum (PPDF) can now go forward, 
which effectively ends what had been a viable process that included 
all political parties.  He stressed that President Iloilo's act of 
abrogation, instigated by Bainimarama, not only abrogated the 
Constitution, but abrogated the Peoples Charter as well and 
reaffirmed the coup culture in Fiji.  Despite Bainimarama's declared 
intention to lead the country to elections in 2014, Chaudhry opined 
that the de facto government would be unable to promulgate a new 
order, call for elections or hold elections with any legitimacy 
without the inclusion of all political parties.  He said that he is 
planning to send a letter to Bainimarama telling him that he has 
lost credibility with the Fijian people and has only a small window 
of opportunity left to find a way forward.  When I mentioned that I 
would be meeting with Bainimarama over the weekend, Chaudhry asked 
me to urge him to move things forward in a constructive manner. 
 
THE WAY FORWARD 
---------------- 
¶3.  (SBU) Chaudhry said the way forward for Bainimarama is to 
immediately lift all restrictions on the press and the right to 
assemble.  He must allow a dialogue to begin among the political 
parties where they can come to agreement on the most appropriate way 
forward for the country.  The de facto government should have a 
representative at these talks, but he insisted that it should not be 
the de facto PM.  Bainimarama should not try to manage the dialogue 
process and should concentrate on running the government.  Chaudhry 
added that to do this more effectively, Bainimarama must shed some 
of his portfolios.  (Note:  De facto PM Bainimarama concurrently 
holds the positions of Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, 
National Planning, Public Service, People's Charter for Change and 
Progress, Information, Sugar, Foreign Affairs, International 
Co-operation and Civil Aviation, Indigenous and Multi-Ethnic Affairs 
and Provincial Development.  He is also Commander of the Republic of 
Fiji Military Forces [RFMF].  End note.) Most importantly, said 
Chaudhry, Bainimarama should not interfere with the political 
process. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Once the political parties come to agreement on a broad 
framework, Chaudhry said, the UN and Commonwealth could then be 
brought back into the process to help with the preparations for 
elections and to draft appropriate changes to the Constitution.  He 
suggested, as have other opposition leaders, that the new 
constitution could include a provision offering amnesty to 
Bainimarama and the RFMF on condition that they return permanently 
to the barracks.  Once the new constitution has been agreed upon, 
Bainimarama and the de facto government should cede the power to a 
coalition government that would prepare for elections by 2011. 
 
WILLING TO WORK WITH QARASE 
----------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) Noting that his vision was similar to deposed PM Laisenia 
Qarase's, I suggested that the two meet and discuss Fiji's future. 
He said he was willing to meet with Qarase but wanted it one-on-one 
 
SUVA 00000176  002 OF 002 
 
 
so they could resolve their longstanding differences before 
beginning the political process of moving Fiji toward democratic 
governance. This initial meeting would be more symbolic rather than 
substantive but would be an improvement over their previous 
relationship as Chaudhry refused to meet with Qarase while serving 
in the former Prime Minister's cabinet. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6.  (SBU) Chaudhry is clearly in favor of continuing some form of 
the political leaders dialogue that was taking place before the 
abrogation but this time without Bainimarama's pre-determined 
outcome.  It seems uncharacteristically naive of Chaudhry to imagine 
still a political process in which Bainimarama allows genuine 
dialogue. With so many similarities now between the visions outlined 
by Chaudhry and Qarase, I see there might be a real opportunity for 
the two to help resolve the current political impasse.  At the same 
time, Bainimarama would likely react negatively to cooperation 
between Chaudhry and Qarase. 
 
 
MCGANN