Commodore Frank Bainimarama was to have attended the 16-nation Pacific Forum in Papua New Guinea to explain to leaders his path for restoring democracy after his December 2006 coup.
But in an interview with Auckland’s Indian Radio Tarana, Fiji’s interim prime minister said the floods that had hit the country required him to stay home. “The last thing I want to do is move away from here at this time.”
Bainimarama has had a difficult time with the Forum. In 2007, he promised that elections would be held by March this year, but renounced that within a month.
Last year he backed out of attending the forum in Niue. Last week he wrote to Niue Premier and Forum Chairman Toke Talagi, telling him there would be no elections this year and accusing him of neither visiting Fiji nor communicating with him.
Key said last week he hoped Bainimarama would turn up at the 2009 forum, saying Fiji needed to re-engage with the Pacific
Australia was considering lifting travel bans on Bainimarama so he can attend a special Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea, according to AAP.
Leaders from PIF’s 16 member states, including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, will next week fly into PNG’s capital Port Moresby to discuss the fate of Fiji’s membership.
The easiest way for Bainimarama to arrive in Port Moresby is a flight via Brisbane, but Australia’s current bans restrict him from all travel in the country, including transfers.
A spokeswoman for the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said New Zealand made transit arrangement allowances for Bainimarama for last year’s PIF meeting in Niue.
“We have received a request for Fiji’s interim PM Frank Bainimarama, and the members of his delegation, to be allowed to transit Australia en route to the PIF,” she said.
“This request is under consideration. “The fact that the travel is related to a forum meeting and is for transit only will be taken into account. No decision has been made at this stage,” she said.
PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is promoting himself as a deal maker between PIF countries calling for Fiji’s expulsion and Fiji’s interim government.
Bainimarama led a bloodless coup in Dec. 2006 that ousted then-Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
Since then, Bainimarama has failed to live up to promises he made at a PIF meeting in Tonga in 2007 that free and fair elections would be held by mid 2009.
Australia and New Zealand have heavily criticized Fiji’s regime and placed travel restrictions on Bainimarama and his supporters.
The special PIF meeting on Jan. 27 will discuss how to deal with Fiji following its failure to keep its promise to hold an election.
