Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, has met fire with fire in his response to Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s unflattering comments about him last week.
Speaking to Vijay Narayan of Fijilive, Bainimarama called Tuilaepa a “lap dog” for New Zealand and Australia.
“With regards to the Samoan Prime Minister, you know he is the only Prime Minister that attacks everyone left, right and centre,” Mr. Bainimarama said.
“He attacks his dog, he attacks his rugby team, he attacks everything he can get his hands on.
“But we have heard this yapping from the Samoan lap dog before for a long time, day in, day out. It really means nothing.
“He is talking about me playing drums. At least I can play an instrument. All he can do is bark and dance to tunes until they feed him again.”
Mr. Bainimarama made the comments when he was asked to respond to a verbal barrage from Tuilaepa last week, during which he rubbished the call by the Fijian Prime Minister to remove Australia and New Zealand from the Pacific Islands Forum.
Tuilaepa belittled Mr. Bainimarama, saying his point was insignificant.
“Remember all the man did was to play the drums (in the military) and train,” Tuilaepa said. “So he doesn't understand these things.
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He is only new and he is still learning about matters of international relations.” Tuilaepa went on to remind that Mr. Bainiamarama’s area of speciality is to “play the drum and yell left, right, stop!” According to Tuilaepa, Mr. Bainimarama does not understand the realities of the Forum.
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 their plans.
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 pour nations,” Tuilaepa said.
“He’s (Bainimarama) 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.”
Yesterday, Mr. Bainimarama said Fiji has made its stand clear that it will not attend the Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Papua New Guinea unless Australia and New Zealand go out of the Forum.
“Basically Australia and New Zealand can move aside, they can remain funders but not be part of P.I.F.S,” Mr. Bainimarama said.
He acknowledged that while Australia and New Zealand are key partners of Fiji, their participation in P.I.F.S is not good for the region.
Mr. Bainimarama also raised the issue on what is the commitment from Australia and New Zealand on climate change as it is affecting the Pacific and why the Pacific leaders were being asked to support Canada’s bid to be part of the UN Security Council.
As for Tuilaepa, Mr. Bainimarama said he is not bothered by the Samoan Prime Minister as “he is dancing to the tune of the Australians and the New Zealanders.”
It was not possible to get a response from the Prime Minister yesterday.
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