Snippets: President to Retire, Lau Provincial Meeting, Forum PACER, John Roughan

(G) President to Retire
PM Bainimarama has announced that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo (88, photo L) will retire on July 30, and the functions of his office will be carried out by recently-appointed Vice-President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau (photo R).

(o+) Mara Opens Lau Meeting in Suva
The people of Lau converged in Suva today (27 July) for the opening of their provincial council meeting and bazaar. Lau Provincial Council chairperson Lt-Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara. Ratu Tevita thanked his people for their contributions to the province’s development and outlined matters to be discussed by their district representatives. Ratu Tevita looked forward "the revitalization of the economic situation in the province” and the possible purchase of a ship to serve the islands. -- Based on Fiji Live. It is noted that mass non-political meetings are allowed under PERs.

The Lau group consists of about 60 small islands to the east and south of mainland Fiji. Once the domain of the powerful Tongan chief Ma'afu, who challenged Cakobau for control of Fiji, and the "seat" of the powerful (Sir Ratu Kamisese) Mara family, the islands suffer from excessive out-migration. The 2007 population was 10,683, almost entirely ethnic Fijians, and only 1.3% of Fiji's total population. The province had one seat in Fiji's 71 seat parliament.

(+) Fiji and the Pacific Island Forum, PACER: ANZ Principle or Loss of Face?
Although it now looks unlikely Fiji will get a last minute reprieve and be invited to attend the Forum meeting in Cairns on August 4-7, it is seeking representation at the PACER (Pacific Closer Economic Relations) meeting that follows. Australia and New Zealand seem adamant that Fiji will not return to Forum meetings (or be involved in any regional talks such as PACER or PICTA, Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement) until it sets an early date for elections.

Their inflexible -- and unrealistic -- stance has drawn criticism from the Forum members in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, all of which want the Forum to reopen dialogue with Fiji whose exclusion threatens the longer-term future of regional institutions and makes economic talks, other than on aid, something of a joke. With seven of their Pacific "partners" now wanting a review, one might think Australia and New Zealand might moderate their stance but my reading is that they think they know best and, besides, loss of face is now also involved. For a related story, click here.

John Roughan
Fiji and other friends of Solomon Islands citizen John Roughan will be pleased to learn he was awarded the Cross of Solomon Islands at the recent 31st anniversary of independence celebration. John was the co-founder of the indigenous Solomon Islands Development Trust, an NGO that has been helping to empower rural villagers since the 1980s.