Melanesians criticise Samoan PM's comments on Fiji

Updated February 26, 2009 16:59:29

The Melanesian Spearhead Group and its leaders have remained silent so far on the current war of words between the Samoan prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Fiji interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama. However, former Solomon Islands Prime Minister now Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare says Prime Minister Tuilaepa's public attacks on Bainimarama are very irresponsible and uncalled for. And Tarcissius Tara Kabutaulaka, the Pacific development expert at the University of Hawaii who played a vital role in the Solomon Islands' peace process, says such attacks will only further aggravate the situation in Fiji.

presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Solomon Islands Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare; Pacific development expert at the University of Hawaii,Tarcissius Tara Kabutaulaka,

SEKE: The Melanesian Spearhead Group and its leaders have remained silent so far on the current war of words between the Samoan prime minister and Commodore Bainimarama.

However, former Solomon Islands Prime Minister now Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare says Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele's public attacks on Bainimarama are very irresponsible and uncalled for.

And Tarcissius Tara Kabutaulaka, the Pacific development expert at the University of Hawaii who played a vital role in the Solomon Islands peace process, says such attacks will only further aggravate the situation in Fiji.

KABUTAULAKA: I think that it is unfortunate and counterproductive. I don't think it helps in the regions course to try and help Fiji go back to democratic processes, and what it will do is aggravate the situation, it will give the interim prime minister of Fiji a reason to continue to be resistant against any call from the Pacific Islands Forum. So it's unfortunate, it will be counterproductive, but very unfortunate that it comes from someone who holds a very important position in our region.

SEKE; Dr Kabutaulaka says comments coming from the Samoan Prime Minister and his officials shows they do not fully understand the process of democratisation going on in Fiji.

KABUTAULAKA: I would have though that what Samoa could do is to try and understand what's going on in Fiji a little bit more. From my reading of the statements coming from the prime minister of Samoa, it seems that he or his officials, have not attempted to understand what's going on in Fiji and the processes that are taking place within the country to try and move Fiji back to democrative processes. This will take a bit of time and I am certain that what the forum is trying to do is push Fiji to try and do things a bit faster than what it's doing. But I don't think that the language used by the prime minister of Samoa is useful in that endeavour and in fact I am not certain whether that gives us an idea of the limited understanding that such a comment portrays.

SEKE: The Associate Professor of Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii, Dr Tarcissius Tara Kabutaulaka.

The Solomon Islands Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare says that as a senior leader in the region, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele must start acting responsibly.

Mr Sogavare says the Melanesian leaders must do more to help Fiji return to democratic rule.

SOGAVARE: Well, I call on the member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to start to take some responsibility of assisting Fiji to come out of the situation that they were in and I've expressed that view so many times now and I feel that they have not done enough and in the current situation, where the leader of the another sovereign state of Samoa continues to label name against the leader of the interim government of Fiji, that is most irresponsible of a leader who is supposed to be a senior leader and a responsible person, and it is really uncalled for - the names that he continues to brand the leader of an interim government. It's not helping at all in getting Fiji out of the situation. He may have personal vendetta against the leader of the interim government of Fiji, that is a matter that is to be kept personal to him. He is part of the forum countries who have taken some joint positions on how to assist Fiji and I don't think that the statements that he has been making is shared by other leaders of the Pacific. He is isolated in this case and he must start to act responsibly. And I would call on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to start to take some responsible actions to assist Fiji and may be to make some statement on the continual attack, irresponsible attack by the Samoan prime minister against the interim leader of Fiji.

SEKE: The former Solomon Islands Prime Minister now Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare.