Editor,

We know that the situation in Fiji is both complicated and sensitive because of its racial implication and the tendency of outsider to oversimplify the issues involved. But more alarmingly when a PM of a Pacific Is nation issued a tirade to demean the leader of another such as PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi of Samoa on Bainimarama as reported by the Samoan government's newspaper Savaii 2¼/09. And we were wondering why the Pacific Is. Forum messed up this issue so bad by issuing an ultimatum on Fiji in their PNG meeting, if this is the quality of leaders we have from the island nations. It does not help when politician confused their national party politics with international diplomatic relations.

If the Samoa PM tirade on Bainimarama gives us a glimpse on the mindset of the Forum leaders, then it is time to dismantle the Forum and form a new Pacific Island Nation organization for the region. These leaders should have known that any kind of Pacific Is. Organization without Fiji is not much of a pacific island thing, but all the island nations without a forum is not only feasible but viable. These leaders should have known that forcing Fiji to declare a date for an election when the groundwork from Bainimarama's government is not yet in place is wishful thinking. And they should have known that an ultimatum is only as good as the instruments to enforce such undertaking. Knowing that if Fiji does not comply it will make the forum a political Disneyland or as of now, a puppet show.

Now that everybody is backing away from embargo of any kind knowing that it won't make any difference. Now that the toothless and mindless Pacific Is., Forum have realized that they are not a UN type organization but a regional organization established on mutual agreement between neighboring small island countries. I hope they have learned that such an organization mode of operation is based on trust, respect and everlasting dialogue. Diplomacy and politics at this level is a gentlemen game. The difference between Senior Statesman and Politician should always be a distinction that national delegates should think about seriously before they attend meetings of organization such as the Forum.

The best we can do for Fiji is for its people to maintain law and order and try to normalize their life situation as much as possible. We have to allow to whoever is in control of Fiji politically, time to sort out their situation at a pace manageable to them, not us. The undue pressure from outside would only leads to reactive decision making as we have seen so far. Maintain Fiji involvement in regional meetings of other regional organization and regional dialogue with international organizations.

And instead of demeaning tirade, Island Nations' leaders should try visiting Bainamarama in Fiji for informal talk. Media in the region is a problem in itself and thereby always be a problem with any government. When the media do not have problem with anything then we know they are not needed any more. However, Fiji is still one of our best tourist destinations regardless of the political situation.

Regards

'Inoke Fotu Hu'akau

inokefotu [at] 2000fm [dot] com