Ousted Fiji PM takes on Bainimarama
Updated
Fiji's Former Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, told a public meeting in Sydney that many people in Fiji fear interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, is digging in for the long haul rather than moving to return the country to democracy. Recently Commodore Bainimara said he would not meet the Pacific Islands Forum's May deadline for the announcement of an election date. As well, he has delayed a meeting of the President's Political Dialogue Forum. The Interim Prime Minister has accused Mr Qarase of lying to the Fiji court to obtain a visa to travel to Australia. Jemima Garrett was at the Sydney meeting for Pacific Beat and asked Mr Qarase for his response to that allegation.
presenter: Jemima Garrett
speaker: Fiji's Former Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase
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QARASE: Well that is absolutely not correct. To ensure that I have the approval of the authorities in Fiji, I had to apply for permission to travel overseas. I have a court order with me which sets out that particular approval by the court and the approval is for me to travel to Australia from such and such a date to such and such a date and I must return to Fiji before the 5th, when my court case comes up for the next hearing. And that is what the court has decided.
GARRETT: Commodore Bainimarama has also threatened to ask the court not to let you leave Fiji again, and there's also been reports that you may be arrested when you return. Are you worried about your return to Fiji and your ability to leave again once you do return?
QARASE: Well firstly, if the government intends to direct the court to stop me from further travel overseas, that would be blatant interference in the independence of the court and I am very surprised that that sort of statement is coming from our interim prime minister. And I hope that the court will not bow down to threats like that.
As for the possibility of my being arrested on return to Fiji, I am not worried. When I say the truth, the truth will eventually prevail and I have no problem with that. I am very comfortable with that. And when I left Fiji, I knew I was taking some risk in the sort of statements I might be making in Australia or elsewhere.
The other point I want to make is that whatever I have said in Fiji during this visit I have already said so many times in Fiji. So in effect, I have said nothing new while in Australia. I have merely repeated what I have said in Fiji before. It is very important for the people who want to listen to me here to know the other side of the story, and that's our side of the story and our side of the story is based on truth and nothing but the truth.
GARRETT: In an interview with Radio Australia during the week, Commodore Bainimarama hit out at Samoa. Samoa's prime minister replied saying he thinks that Bainimarama is a bit moonstruck. Do you think he is losing touch with reality?
QARASE: Well, the public of Fiji, the overwhelming majority are certainly not with him. If he thinks that he has the support of the majority of the people of Fiji he's grossly mistaken and I would suggest that he get rid of his advisers, because if that is what the advisers are telling him, the advice is completely wrong.
GARRETT: You’re putting a lot of hope in the president's political dialogue process. Will the personal attacks Commodore Bainimarama has made on you damage that dialogue process?
QARASE: Certainly not from my point of view. I am a fairly easy flexible person. I like to listen to other people and I'm prepared to go to the table and listen to him and I hope he will listen to me and other people who will be taking part in the political dialogue forum.
GARRETT: How important is that process to the future of Fiji?
QARASE: I have got a lot of hope in that process. To me it is the sensible process, it's the logical process. I believe that Commodore Bainimarama must engage the political leaders and other key stakeholders, in trying to find a solution for Fiji and a solution for the interim government itself. And I think he ought to take advantage of the willingness of political leaders like me who are ready to talk to him and try and find a solution.
