CMAG doesn’t suspend Fiji
Posted by ZoeWare - 31/07/09 at 07:07 pmConsiderable rumours circulated worldwide this week about the imminence of Fiji’s full suspension from the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) held today, Friday 31st July, in London. However at the meeting, CMAG’s 9 Foreign Ministers agreed to give the Fijian regime 1 more month to reactivate the President’s Political Dialogue Forum process, facilitated by the Commonwealth and the United Nations.
CMAG stressed that such a Dialogue must be independent, inclusive, time-bound and without any pre-determined outcome, and lead to credible elections in the country no later than October 2010. If these conditions are not met by 1st September 2009, Fiji will be fully suspended from the Commonwealth.
FULL TEXT OF 31 JULY 2009 CMAG STATEMENT
The CMAG is the Commonwealth’s mechanism to deal with serious or persistent violations of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values laid down in the Harare Declaration.
Fiji was suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth in December 2006, following the military overthrow of the Pacific Island state?s democratically elected government. Fiji remains in contravention of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. See here for an example.
Do you think the Commonwealth should have acted more decisively today to suspend Fiji from the Commonwealth? Or do you think Commonwealth Foreign Ministers are right to try to affect change in Fiji by keeping her, at least partially, within the fold?
Let us know by posting your comments below?
Category : Democracy & Good Governance, Human Rights, The Official Commonwealth
Tags: CMAG, democracy, Fiji, good governance, Human Rights
Stay Updated : 
RSS 2.0 feed.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Fijian officials obviously aren?t that bothered about suspension from the Commonwealth, as they sought to downplay its importance earlier this week while suspension seemed likely http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=126484
August 1st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
The entire thing is a joke. This is the biggest open and shut case! It should have taken 10 minutes to draft a statement and kick them out.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Of course Commonwealth leaders should keep Fiji within the fold. The Commonwealth does not exist as an international judiciary, and trying to encourage change is the best thing that can be done in this situation.
The Commonwealth’s existing mandate is against ‘world policemen’.
If we want a fundamental change in the Commonwealth’s guiding principles, then we must lobby for that.
Do you want to close off the Commonwealth?
August 5th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Has the Fijian government changed its tune? The Fiji Times reports that in response to the CMAG statement, the government are now inviting a Commonwealth delegation to Fiji for discussions. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=126800
August 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am
QED. This is a perfect example of Commonwealth application of Diplomatic pressure. If there can be free & fair elections by 2010 then there’s clear evidence that CMAG is still relevant.
Just because the Commonwealth doesn’t swoop right in there with the ban hammer doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. We shall see what comes of this.
Jolly good show, Commonwealth!
August 6th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Indeed. A victory for clever diplomacy.
If they were kicked out right away, those at fault would be able to simply play it down and tighten their grip.
Like this, there is at least the opportinity for progress, with a clear end point, and under the light of media attention Fiji seems to be engaging with the process.
So not only a wise action, but a mark of the practical value of the Commonwealth in the modern world.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
See here for the text of a letter from the RCS Fiji Branch to the Fiji Times, Saturday 1 August:
“Commonwealth importance
I REFER to the article “C’wealth technical assistance is small” (FT 31/07).
Commonwealth help to Fiji may indeed be less than that of the European Union but let us not forget Fiji’s history and ties to the Commonwealth.
Taking a laissez-faire attitude to full suspension (not expulsion as stated in the article) simply because the European Union contributes more money to Fiji is, at the very least, disrespectful.
Fiji is not part of the European Union but is part of the Commonwealth, which is a community of 53 independent member states co-operating to achieve common values and goals such as good governance, free trade, human rights, individual liberty and education.
The queen is the head of the Commonwealth whose portrait is gracefully displayed in many remote village halls.
Let us not forget other advantages of being in the Commonwealth such as visa free travel to certain member states around the world – Singapore, Jamaica, Vanuatu, Malaysia, Ireland and many more.
The majority of investors in Fiji are citizens of Commonwealth countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Sri Lanka and Australia.
Commonwealth membership is a way for Fiji not only to “receive” but to help less fortunate member countries.
Together, we cover an area of 31.5million square kilometres and close to two billion people are citizens of the Commonwealth.
Together we make a difference.”
August 7th, 2009 at 10:08 am
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200908/s2648646.htm
You can listen here to former Commonwealth secretary-general Don McKinnon discussing the implications of Fiji’s suspension.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
There is an interesting piece today in Caribbean Net News by Sir Ronald Sanders about Fiji and the Commonwealth:
“Along with the Pacific Islands Forum (Fiji and its closest neighbours), the United Nations and other bodies, the Commonwealth has been working to persuade Bainimarama to hold elections by March this year ? an undertaking that he had given. But March came and went, and in April the government abrogated the Constitution, further entrenched authoritarian rule, cracked down on freedom of speech and assembly, and undermined the judiciary and legal system.
Bainimarama also scrapped the paramount Fijian institution, the prestigious Great Council of Chiefs which selects the President and Vice-President. It is widely believed that he did so because the Chiefs did not rally to him. He also prevented the dominant Methodist Church from holding its annual convention demanding that it must first be cleansed of political clergymen. . .”
…”Suspension of Fiji after almost three years of trying to reason with the military regime is necessary punishment now; but engagement is also necessary to give back to all the people of Fiji their right to democracy, constitutionality and the rule of law.”
To read the full text of Ronald Sanders’ article and find out more about the situation in Fiji, see here:
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-18209–6-6–.html
August 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Suspension as punishment is a rather silly principle. In most cases, suspension is down to poor governence, poor human rights standards etc.
In the case of suspension, if the individual nation does not bow to the pressure, said abuses continue without interruption! The entire process is intellectually bankrupt, as any suspended states can find allies in the more ruthless powers in the world (I allude to the USA and Red China)
In such cases, the Commonwealth should think of the citizens of member states, not the nefarious activities of their rulers. The Commonwealth should send aid, not angry letters. As I recall, the council of chiefs declared themselves loyal to the British crown in 2002:
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=2883
…and conversely Bainimarama himself is a declared monarchist.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25410470-16953,00.html
Perhaps a Commonwealth Monarchist liason? Anything’s worth a try.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Speaking (or should I say blogging & anonymously [because of curbs to personal freedom of expression] at that) as an individual who lives here, there is every reason to suspend Fiji.
Whether Fiji remains within or without any political grouping — such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Commonwealth — Bainimarama will never bow to your pressure.
Ultimately the fate of our country is in the hands of our people, and sanctions and suspensions help our cause. Fiji needs to learn a lesson ie that coup after coup (after coup after coup) will no longer be tolerated by the international community.
The economic devastation & international isolation perhaps is the only painful lesson that will bring this military junta to it’s knee’s. It is the means which allows them to feed undisturbed at the trough which is our national coffers.
There are concerns about the local communities — they are suffering anyway — jobs are being lost illegally, the cost of living has hiked because of an illegal devaluation etc etc….at the end of the day if push comes to shove our people are resilient and can still eat from the land. All of us.
The Fiji military coup of ’87 which instigated all this manner of “military prowess” showed that Rabuka got his way BECAUSE he was able to charm the international community to back-off. Bainimarama is undoubtedly hoping that this same relaxation will occur (over time).
It’s absolutely incumbent on the Commonwealth to be consistent with the primary political regional body that has been dealing with the military dictator that is Frank Bainimarama, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). And the PIF is the same entity that the Commonwealth should take their cues from.
If and when the CMAG team arrives (already there is mass confusion: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/14/2656521.htm?section=justin) the team should also hold PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS and not depend solely on community/group/religious/NGO representatives. Obviously that is not going to be logistically possible with the Sept deadline looming — which was Bainimarama’s intention all along.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Thank you for your most informative post, Keep The Faith.
The Secretariat should take heed of those who go out of their way to pass on their stories from Commonwealth flashpoints like Fiji.
Suspension still seems draconian to me, but cooperation with the PIF would not go amiss, it seems.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Suspending/sanctioning….
Sri Lanka has been a ”democracy” for most Sinhalese. But the Tamils have been under ”a military regime”. Northeast Sri Lanka(esp.Tamils) have been under Army occupation for more than 40 years. At the begnning the Army have been following the government orders. But increasingly the Army have been having its say in the ”governance” of Tamils in addition to increasing impunity for any crimes committed against the Tamils.
The challenge facing the Commonwealth(?) and the international community is how to make the International Law and the UDHR reach the oppressed through the ”sovereignty” wall of the oppressor in any country.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:25 am
The Commonwealth Secretariat have just released another press release on the situation on Fiji…
Statement by the Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesman on Fiji
27 August 2009
The Commonwealth Secretariat has noted the reported comment of the Interim Foreign Minister of Fiji that the request of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for certain commitments by 1 September 2009 ?is no longer relevant?, as the Interim Prime Minister of Fiji Islands has responded to the Secretary-General regarding the proposed visit of a Commonwealth delegation to Fiji.
The Secretary-General received a letter from the Interim Prime Minister on 21 August regarding the CMAG decision and the visit of the proposed Commonwealth delegation to Fiji.
CMAG?s statement requires the interim regime to commit itself in writing to reactivating the President?s Political Dialogue Forum in a manner which is independent, inclusive, time-bound and has no pre-determined outcome, and with a view to having national elections by October 2010.
The Secretary-General therefore responded in writing to the Interim Prime Minister on 24 August that CMAG?s requirements had not been met.
The Secretary-General has also responded positively to the Interim Prime Minister?s invitation to Special Representative Sir Paul Reeves to visit Fiji on 9-11 September, and the Secretariat is now in discussions with Fiji officials with a view to finalising details for that visit.
Click here for full info…
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=212891