Bainimarama's UN speech misleading

Commodore Frank Bainimarama's speech to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday gave a selective and misleading picture about the situation in Fiji, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today.

"For people who do not know the facts, Commodore Bainimarama's speech might have left the impression that Fiji was on the road back to democracy. The actual situation is, however, quite the contrary," Mr Peters said.

"Concerns about the unjustified nature of the coup have been registered throughout this year in the context of the Pacific Islands Forum through its Foreign Ministers meetings, Eminent Persons Group, and the Forum/Fiji Joint Working Group.

"There will be an opportunity at the Forum Leaders meeting next month to address the situation, and that is where New Zealand will focus its attention.

"I would simply point out for now that Commodore Bainimarama gave a tendentious account of Fiji's recent political history. He avoided referring to all aspects of the current situation, such as the recent re-imposition of emergency regulations, that do not fit the story he was trying to sell.

"The assurances he gave on Fiji's commitment to respect human rights, good governance, judicial independence, and the rule of law are hollow when weighed against the actual behaviour of his regime.

"It is especially disappointing that the passing references the Commodore made to holding elections did not include the time-frame agreed with the Forum and with the EU, which was to be by the end of March 2009.

"Taken together with other elements in the speech, such as the lengthy section on the Interim Government's 'People's Charter', and the suggestion of constitutional change in advance of any elections - for which they have no mandate whatsoever - the interim government's real commitment to early elections remains highly questionable.

"It is hard to avoid the conclusion that his intention is to delay the election until he is confident he can gerrymander the outcome," Mr Peters said.