SYDNEY —

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced Monday that Fiji will not participate in a regional summit meeting to be held in the South Pacific island nation of Niue on Tuesday, blaming New Zealand for the move. In a statement on his government’s website, Bainimarama blamed New Zealand for refusing to issue visas to the Fijian delegation to travel to Auckland after the three-day Pacific Islands Forum summit ends for key bilateral meetings to be held in the New Zealand city. ‘‘Members of the Fiji delegation are being denied the opportunity to participate in those meetings,’’ Bainimarama said. ‘‘This is because the New Zealand government has decided not to issue visas to enable Fiji to participate.’’

New Zealand and Australia imposed travel bans on Bainimarama and senior officials of his government following his bloodless coup in 2006, in which he seized power from a democratically elected government. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark accused Fiji’s interim leader of backing out of the summit to avoid confrontation over his broken promise to hold elections by March 2009. ‘‘If that’s what he’s saying, then I suspect that he was looking for an excuse. It was not New Zealand’s intention to provide him with an excuse not to come, which is why I agreed that he should be able to transit through Auckland airport,’’ Clark told the New Zealand Press Association. ‘‘I think it speaks volumes if they are not prepared to come and be accountable to Forum leaders, but obviously we are going to await formal advice as to whether they are coming or not,’’ Clark said. New Zealand had reportedly told Fiji that it should conduct its bilateral meetings with the dialogue partners in Niue rather than in Auckland.

Kyodo

2 Comments

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  Altria at 12:54 PM JST - 19th August

  Go Helen, you the man!

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  rajakumar at 03:56 PM JST - 19th August

  Fiji and NZ play the blame game.

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