By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, will reportedly chair Fiji’s upcoming President’s Political Dialogue Forum.

The Presidential Political Dialogue Forum will hopefully provide an opportunity for Non-Governmental Organizations as well as civil society groups to meet and discuss Fiji’s political future.

Since the 2006 military coup of Fiji’s federal government, the interim government has promised to relinquish power and hold democratic elections. Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, originally promised to hold those elections by March 2009, but now states he will not meet his own deadline.

During a multi party political meeting on Friday, the United Nations and Commonwealth reportedly endorsed Mr. Namaliu as the Forum’s chair and also named mediators to assist him.

The UN, Commonwealth’s named mediators have caused some friction among two political parties in Fiji.

Fred Caine, from the General Voters Party, says that because the named assistants are not from the Pacific region, they will not properly understand the political situation in Fiji. In addition, Mr. Caine supports finishing the Forum within 6 months and immediately holding elections without first implementing reforms.

Meanwhile, Ropate Sivo, from the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua, warns the people of Fiji to not allow the UN and Commonwealth to trick them. Mr. Sivo proposed that the Melanesian Spearhead Group should facilitate the Forum instead of the UN/Commonwealth’s named assistants.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Daily Post – ‘More than political’ – 16 March 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Senior PNG figure could chair Fiji’s Presidential Dialogue Forum – 15 March 2009