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Bainimarama’s area of speciality is to “play the drum and yell left, right, stop!” said Samoan PM Featured

Bainimarama’s area of speciality is to “play the drum and yell left, right, stop!” said Samoan PM

Editor's Note: This article is taken from samoaobserver published on Sunday 19 April 2015. The content remains unchanged except for the title.

Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, is back on Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s hit list.

This time, Bainimarama has upset Prime Minister Tuilaepa by calling for the removal of New Zealand and Australia from the Pacific Islands Forum.

Asked for a comment, Tuilaepa did not hold back.“Bainimarama’s issue is insignificant,” he said. “Remember all the man did was to play the drums (in the military) and train."

“So he doesn't understand these things. He is only new and he is still learning about matters of international relations."

Tuilaepa went on to remind that Bainiamarama’s area of speciality is to “play the drum and yell left, right, stop!"

The Prime Minister was responding to repeated calls from Bainimarama to have New Zealand and Australia removed from the Forum.

If this does not happen, he wants China to be included in the group.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, To’osavili John Key, rejected the call, saying it is a joke.

"A Pacific Forum without Australia and New Zealand would be an interesting thing I suppose, in that those leaders would be able to talk about things,” To’osavili told the media.

"But exactly where would they get the money to do anything, and the answer is nowhere."

Tuilaepa agrees with To’osavili.

He reminded that many years ago, a body known as the South Pacific Commission involved only Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. New Zealand and Australia, he said, were brought in to fund the plans of the Forum.

Fast forward to today, the Forum now has 16 members.

“The Forum is made up of fourteen very poor nations and then these two nations who fund the plans by these fourteen very poor nations,” Tuilaepa said.“Now John Key is right. He has hit the mark because that’s why New Zealand and Australia came in, they fund our stuff.” But Bainimarama has rejected Toosavili’s comments, accusing him of ‘dangling funds’ over the Forum.

"They only see our relationship is to do with funding and that is their outlook on what our relationship is in the Forum, to dangle funding in front of us,” Bainimarama told Radio Tarana. “Obviously that is a poor view of what our relationship should be like."

Tuilaepa disagrees. “He’s perhaps forgotten that the Forum relies on funding,” he said.

“It’s not a body where you talk, talk, talk and go away with air. We talk and implement these plans but we rely on New Zealand and Australia to fund it."

“So you need to talk and be mindful of whether there is enough in your pocket to pay for your plans."

Asked about claims that New Zealand and Australia are too domineering, Tuilaepa said this was far from the truth.

“No, that’s not the case,” he said.

“The decisions are made at the Forum. If Fiji doesn't want to join the Forum, so what?“

The Forum is not going to die.

It’s not as if any money comes from Fiji. It’s the money we get from New Zealand and Australia we are using for our stuff.”

2 comments

  • Inoke Fotu Huakau
    Inoke Fotu Huakau Friday, 24 April 2015 21:59 Comment Link

    I have noticed the degrading nature of Pacific Island diplomacy and international relation protocol for some times. The snippet response by the Hon.PM of Samoa about Banimarama;s proposal for the membership of the Forum, and Hon.PM of Tonga desperate attempt to woe the Hon. Minister from Australia by publicly repudiating the same proposal are paradigm cases. Military training in the modern age is more holistic than what most educational institutions offer in their curriculum. The fact of the matter is that Hon. Banimarama with a modern military training is possibly a more qualified leader by training than both PM.
    This practice of Mega-Phone Politics can be attributed to the current political system and structures which hinged on Short Term Wonder Leaders of party politics. And along the way lost the social mores that defines the uniqueness of our modes of operation in any sphere of our struggle to survive in the global state of affairs..
    It thus brings from memory the initial phase when the idea of regionalism was formulated during the time of prominent statesmen such as Prince Tu'ipelehake (Tonga), Ratu Mara (Fiji), High Chief Mata'afa (Samoa), Michael Somare (PNG) and Father Walter Lini (Vanuatu) among other pacific leaders. The respect they have for each other as the voice of their nation and people was paramount.
    I hope that Pacific Is leaders would settle down buckle up and steer the region with a more holistic plan and approach to development. In fact Banimarama may be on the right track by insisting that the Forum is much more than a fund-seeking mechanism.
    It may not be inappropriate for the Hon.PMs of the Pacific to attach a Cultural Consultant to the PM's Office rather than Media Manipulator that has become an integral attache to modern leaders mode of operation.
    Kind regards,
    Inoke Fotu Huakau

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  • Chief
    Chief Tuesday, 21 April 2015 09:22 Comment Link

    Thats the Pacific Way...hahaha...

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