Pacific Island nations are not falling in line with the Australian and New Zealand view that Fiji Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama would be unwelcome at the Forum Leaders Summit in Tonga in October.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said last week there was a general feeling
among Pacific island leaders against Bainimarama's presence.
But although there has been discussion there is no consensus, despite Australia's open opposition and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark's recent comments about his being treated like a "leper" if he attended.
The Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Patterson Oti says: "Solomon Islands has had no formal notification of that trend or the general feeling among Pacific Island countries of Bainimarama being unwelcome to attend the forum meeting."
Attending the inaugural Pacific Business Forum meeting in Nadi this week, Vanuatu Trade Minister James Bule echoed that sentiment.
Only a week earlier the matter had been discussed among Pacific Islands trade ministers during their meetings in Port Vila.
Several other leaders there disagreed with Downer's view that there was a growing feeling about Bainimarama being unwelcome.
The forum's official position is clear: Secretary-General Greg Urwin said in Nadi that as a member state Fiji would be invited, but it was up to the member states to decide on the levels of their representation.
Bainimarama made it clear this week he intended to attend.
He said he would fly to Tonga leading the Fiji delegation and would leave without attending the meeting only if denied entry by immigration authorities.
Would Tonga do that?
Prime Minister Feleti Sevele's secretary, Lopeti Senituli, would not say how it plans to address the issue. Leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group countries: the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea are scheduled to meet early next month and will discuss their stand on Fiji's participation.
Rather than trying to oppose Bainimarama's presence at the Tonga summit, Australia and New Zealand may need to put together a strategy to engage with the Fijian leader and ask tough questions face-to-face in the presence of other islands leaders.
