Snippets: Maori Party for Dailogue; Forum Suspension Will Hurt Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji; Regime Paranoid:Dorsami Naidu

(o) NZ's Approach "Harsh" and "Wrong": Maori Party
NZ Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia New Zealand's harsh approach is wrong, and that Fiji's isolation by the PI Forum is not the answer. "We've talked about this and we believe that there is a way forward and we should be talking with Fiji rather than adopting the stance that we have," she says. "Dr Sharples [M.P.co-leader] is very keen to look at how we might be able to use NZ leadership and he thought of Tumu Te Heuheu, the king, that maybe a very small delegation could go and talk with Bainimarama [who says] he is attempting to combat racism and certain things that have been going on in Fiji for some time...we think we should find out exactly what is happening there."

But PM John Key says the delegation could only go in a private capacity, and he'd be surprised if a Maori negotiating team succeeded where others have failed. "The government is going to continue to negotiate for democracy in Fiji through the Pacific Forum leaders and through the Commonwealth." [I can see John Key's point but why doesn't he accompany the delegation? It would be in line with his familiar hands-on, up-front approach to other issues: a round-the-table dialogue by a down-to-earth pragmatist rather than hands-off bureaucratic negotiations? Unlikely, but it could actually help.]

(o) Fiji's Forum Expulsion will Hurt Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tonga More ...
... than Fiji, says well-known USP political sociologist, Dr Steven Ratuva. “What’s going to happen is that regional cooperation as we knew it for a long time since 1972 is going to go through a significant and substantial shift. And the shift is going to affect mostly the small island states like Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tonga [which] rely significantly on Fiji for economic survival.” Dr Ratuva says the suspension will see Fiji fall more under the influence of China, while Australia and New Zealand will lead the other power block in the region.


(-+) Regime Paranoid: Dorsami Naidu
President of Fiji's Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, a long-time vocal opponent of the Bainimarama Government, says the extension of the Emergency Regulations for a further 30 days from 10 May, is unnecessary and evidence of paranoia. For its part, Government has justified the extension, whose main effect is in curbing the media, saying Fiji needed a period of calm after the tumultuous events of recent weeks.