Fiji's Parliament House, Suva. Credit: timoshea95/flickr
By Rich Bowden
Fiji’s interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has slammed international media reports linking him to a bid for the country’s vacant presidency.
Bainimarama, who seized control of government in a heavily-criticised 2006 coup, was said to be eyeing the largely ceremonial position of President after last month’s retirement of 88-year-old Ratu Josefa Iloilo. However the Commodore has previously expressed his opinion that with Ratu Epeli Nailatikau currently serving as Fiji’s acting President, there is no rush appoint anyone to the position on a permanent basis.
New Zealand press though were quoted last week as saying Bainimarama was positioning himself as a replacement; reports the interim leader has dismissed as “rubbish.”
“What’s coming out of the media is like some stories in the blog. And stories in the blog are exactly that, just rubbish,” he said to New Zealand’s Radio Tarana.
“Don’t believe everything you hear from the New Zealand media, it shows the lack of knowledge of what is happening here in Fiji.”
Meanwhile a postponed visit by a Commonwealth delegation to Fiji to discuss Fiji’s expulsion from the Commonwealth for its refusal to return the country to October 2010 elections has been set for September, Bainimarama told the radio station.
“We have talked about some dates, and I think the weekend after the 9th of September – that would be when they are coming to Fiji,” he said.
The Commonwealth had given Bainimarama’s government until September 1 to commit to holding 2010 elections, however the military government has refused to agree to such a move until at least 2014.
The visit, to be lead by former New Zealand Governor General Sir Paul Reeves, has been confirmed by the Commonwealth Secretariat, however a representative of the body stressed in a statement last week that comments made by the Fiji government that the September 1 deadline for a commitment to October 2010 elections did not now apply, were untrue.
Commonwealth spokesperson Eduardo del Buey was reported by Radio New Zealand as saying Fiji will still have to meet Tuesday’s deadline for setting an election date, regardless of the timing of the visit.
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All I can say is, just follow your heart.