Neu: 2001-08-23 Contents of this issue: 1. Flag Theft 2. Hang On 3. Nod For Fiji 4. Come of Age 5. Fresh elections 6. Rugby News ======================================================================== August 23rd, 2001 1. Flag Theft: Somebody has stolen 25 national flags - including Niue's- from outside the venue where the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum are holding their annual Post-Forum Dialogue meetings with non-Forum countries. Forum officials were surprised when they arrived at the building this morning to discover only three flags still flying. Reports from Nauru say whoever stole the flags from the flag poles outside the Nauru Phosphate Corporation Club and Banquet Hall started at the reverse alphabetical end. The only flags left were the Federated States of Micronesia, the Cook Islands and Australia, leading to speculation that the culprits must have been disturbed before they could get all 28 flags. Forum Secretariat officials spent a frantic hour locating replacements for Nauru police officers to install. (Radio Australia) 2. Hang On: Niue regularly feels temors from subterranean quakes 12-thousand metres under the ocean in the Tonga Trench 220kms east of the isolated upraised coral atoll. But over the past few decades its never rocked to anything as strong as the latest earthquake centred off New Zealand on Tuesday. It was 30 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II, a seismologist said yesterday. The earthquake, which measured seven on the Richter scale, was centred 420 kilometres northeast of Gisborne and was felt as far south as Marlborough. Terry Webb, of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, said an earthquake of the magnitude of Tuesday's could be expected to occur on land in New Zealand once every decade. It was unlikely to have relieved the stress on any of New Zealand's main active faults as it was too far away, Dr Webb said. 3. Nod For Fiji: Fiji is provisional host for next year's Pacific Islands Forum meeting reports Pasifika Times correspondent John Andrews. Having denied Fiji the right to stage this year's forum summit, leaders gathered on Nauru, the substitute venue, decided Fiji can hold it next year if acceptable democracy returns following the coming elections. Forum chairman, Nauru's President Rene Harris, said no preconditions were set by the forum country leaders for Fiji to play host. But New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark explained that leaders agreed it would be up to a democratically elected Fiji government to issue invitations and for forum leaders to consider it. "We believe the elections will be free and fair," said Ms Clark. "We hope that there will be a government formed that will be acceptable to everyone. "We have to leave open the possibility that the government might not be accepted and that there might be more unfortunate events. "We hope that will not be the case but you have to be open to that outside possibility. The [Fiji] Deputy Prime Minister himself made the point that a new government in Fiji should look at the matter of an invitation." Of her meeting with Epeli Nailatikau, Fiji's deputy leader, Ms Clark said she spoke of New Zealand's concerns about what would happen post-election and the hope that a new government could be formed, settle in and be accepted by everyone as a fair election outcome. "He said that that was exactly what they hoped for --- 'We are all praying'," said Ms Clark. Mr Nailatikau said no other contenders had put up their hands to host the event and there were no objections to Fiji's nomination. New Zealand was willing to be an alternative if Fiji was unable to oblige. "We brought the problem on ourselves," said Mr Nailatikau, who is not seeking re-election to Parliament. "Forum leaders agreed that we should host the thing but we have things we have to achieve before that.the elections in two weeks' time, a new government being sworn in. It will flow from that. It is in our hands." In a candid assessment, Mr Nailatikau said: "Whatever we may think, it is the right of sovereign countries of the forum to make a point to a country that has erred and we have erred during the last year. There are no two ways about it. "The thing about the forum, the leaders sit down in an informal discussion to decide and if that is the case, we should accept [it]. There is no use harping about it." He regarded Fiji caretaker Prime Minister Qarase's assertion at the forum meeting in Kiribati last year that Fiji should host this year's meeting as "a spur of the moment thing." "Over a period of time we have come to realise that we are the ones at fault," said Mr Nailatikau. Fiji was keen to rejoin the Commonwealth and attend the October Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Brisbane, but the country had to go through the routine of elections before Don McKinnon, the Secretary-General, could take up Fiji's status with other leaders of the organisation. Asked how the Fijian Army would react if Mahendra Chaudhry, the Prime Minister deposed in last year's coup, was elected leader again, Mr Nailatikau said: "I think the army is going to stand firm whoever is the prime minister." Of the coup leader George Speight's chances of election to Parliament, he said: "In this case I believe the law is an ass. But the legal people say it is all legal. "He can be a candidate and his name will go forth and, if he is elected, then it will be on whether he attends sittings of Parliament. If he doesn't attend, he loses his seat and there's a by-election. It's as simple as that." 4. Come of Age: New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark believes the Pacific Islands Forum has matured. John Andrews Pasifika Times correspondent reports: Speaking to journalists after the forum summit ended in Nauru, Ms Clark said the annual gathering of leaders had reached the stage "where quite hard issues like press freedom can be laid on the table without people taking offence." "There is not a meeting of minds on the issue but people are prepared to debate the reasons why they give or withhold visas," she said. "And I think that is progress. "At least the issues can be discussed and, in the past as I understand it, it just hasn't been deemed appropriate to raise issues that might run the risk of offending someone." The New Zealand leader said she did not detect any resentment over her country's stance in opposing original plans to hold this year's forum summit in Fiji. "I think that anyone reflecting on the events since the last forum [in Kiribati] in Fiji would realise that it was the right decision," she said. "After all, there have been quite dramatic, ongoing events in Fiji and there's still Mr Speight pending a trial. "There is still potential for significant incidents, so I do not think anyone regrets last year's decision at all." 5. Fresh elections: Fiji goes to the polls on Saturday to restore democracy after a nationalist coup in May last year, but political stability may still be elusive in the racially splintered South Pacific island chain. Despite campaign speeches calling for unity and forgiveness, Indian and Fijian politicians remain deeply divided on how to reconcile the racial differences which have fuelled three coups and a military mutiny in 13 years. On the streets there is concern that nationalists who backed failed businessman George Speight's coup in May last year could again plunge Fiji into violence if ethnic Indian parties dominate the poll. New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff has warned that Fiji risks becoming an unstable "banana republic" if ethnic extremists do not accept the outcome of the ballot. 6. Rugby News: Alofi successfully defended its Niue senior club rugby title again this season by defeating Liku Lakepa 19-8. Niue Rugby Union president Toke Talagi said he is pleased with the upcoming talent displayed by the top teams in this seasons club fixtures. He said next season the IRB is encouraging an Oceania eastern pool three nation tournament involving Niue the Cook Islands and Tahiti. There will also be a return Cook Islands v Niue match. The island sevens tournament starts next week. __END__
