ISBN : 9782296113039
CONSEQUENCES OF THE FIJI COUP ON REGIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Richard Herr
The 40th Pacific Islands Forum meeting in the north Queensland town of
Cairns on 6 August 2009 passed a resolution to continue the suspension of Fiji from
its councils.1 This exclusion had been imposed from 2 May 2009 when Fiji's interim
Government, led by Commodore Vorege (Frank) Bainimarama failed to announce
plans for holding national elections before the end of 2009. The Forum, an
association of the Heads of Government of 14 Pacific Islands countries as well as
Australia and New Zealand, made this demand of Fiji at a special meeting in Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea on 27 January 2009 - a meeting that Bainimarama did
not attend. The Cairns decision is likely to have profound consequences for the
future of Australia's relationship with both Fiji and the rest of the Pacific Islands
region; not least because it was made on Australia's watch. Australian Prime
Minister, Kevin Rudd, took over the reins as Ch