“ 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 ”