VZCZCXRO4018
PP RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0107/01 1210432
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010432Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5849
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 5504
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA PRIORITY 0864
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 0136
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 0836
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2024 
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND:  PIF TO SUSPEND FIJI ON MAY 2 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Margaret B. McKean; Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (U)  On May 1, Australian media reported that Fijian 
military leader Bainimarama offered to hold a summit with 
Australia and New Zealand to persuade both countries that 
Bainimarama's proposed timetable for a return to democracy in 
Fiji is necessary.  Bainimarama further predicted that other 
PIF members would not support Fiji's suspension from the 
Pacific Island Forum (PIF).  (Note:  If the PIF does agree to 
suspend Fiji, it will be the first time that a PIF member 
state is suspended.  End Note.)  In remarks to the press on 
April 30, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully assured 
reporters that Fiji's suspension will be automatic as of May 
2 because Fiji has not met the May 1 deadline for setting an 
election date by year's end -- as demanded by the Pacific 
Island Forum leaders earlier this year.  McCully further 
added that the PIF Secretariat would remain in Suva for the 
time being, noting that any retaliatory action by the Fijian 
authorities that affects PIF operations likely would prompt 
further review among member states.  McCully's statements 
follow on Fijian Attorney General Sayed-Khaiyum's April 29 
statements concluding that the Forum would not suspend Fiji. 
McCully's response to the Attorney General's remarks was "I 
admire his optimism." 
 
¶2.  (U)  Bainimarama's media remarks affirmed that he has no 
plans for an early election, and reiterated the call for a 
2014 election date.  The Fijian military leader said that an 
election in 2009 would only return former Fijian Prime 
Minister Qarase to power, and that the latter cannot be 
allowed to resume the leadership of Fiji.  Bainimarama asked 
Australia and New Zealand to drop their demands for 2009 
elections, and called on the other PIF states to not listen 
to Australia and New Zealand.  He also credited U.S. 
Representative Eni Faleomavaega with having a better 
understanding of the situation in Samoa and that 
Faleomavaega's views, rather than those of Australia and New 
Zealand, should form the basis of USG policy towards Fiji. 
 
¶3.  (C)  A/DCM contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade (MFAT) Pacific Division on May 1, and spoke with Fiji 
desk officer Brian Hewson about next steps.  The MFAT 
official said that the Ministry had received a draft letter 
from the Forum Chair (Niuean Prime Minister Tolagi) 
confirming Fiji's suspension on May 2 after the deadline of 
May 1 had passed.  The letter would note the Forum's deep 
regret that the regime in Suva did not take the actions 
recommended by Forum leaders, and as a consequence, the PIF 
leaders have no choice but to confirm Fiji's suspension from 
PIF activities. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Hewson noted that New Zealand will not issue a 
statement in response to Bainimarama's summit proposal or 
anything further on the Forum's action until after the Forum 
Chair makes the news public -- which will likely be May 2. 
MFAT has concluded that Bainimarama's recent statements and 
summit proposal were a last-ditch effort to delay suspension 
and try to drive a wedge between Australia and New Zealand on 
the one hand, and the rest of the PIF members.  He also 
stated that the summit proposal was an attempt to convince a 
naive audience that Fiji is willing to engage and only 
Australia and New Zealand are the problem.  Hewson said that 
Bainimarama had floated a similar proposal before, and 
referred to the period just prior to the expulsion of the New 
Zealand acting High Commissioner in late 2008 when the Fiji 
authorities' offered to send a three-person delegation to New 
Zealand to sort out differences.  Hewson confirmed that a 
summit meeting with Fiji on Bainimarama's terms was a 
non-starter. 
 
¶5.  (C)  New Zealand and Australia are consulting closely on 
Fiji, said Hewson, particularly with respect to what the 
post-May 1 environment will be like after the suspension is 
announced.  Neither country has a clear idea as to how the 
Fijian authorities will react and whether some of the small 
island states who are dependent on Fiji for transport and 
other linkages will be negatively affected. 
 
¶6.  (C)  The British High Commissioner recently had lunch 
with FM McCully, who reportedly said that it may be time to 
push Fiji down the list of priority issues until conditions 
allow for improved engagement.  He allegedly indicated that 
perhaps things need to get much worse in Fiji before Fijians 
themselves decide to create the circumstances under which the 
international community can help things improve. 
 
WELLINGTON 00000107  002 OF 002 
 
 
KEEGAN