WikiLeaks, the controversial non-profit media organisation, reports that New Zealand pushed hard for Fiji's full suspension from the Commonwealth while Malaysia tried its best to ensure Fiji did not withdraw.
Malaysia, at the time, was chair. CMAG's nine member countries are Ghana, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Uganda (deputy chair) and the United Kingdom.
The report noted that the Commonwealth had passed the deadline set at the May CMAG meeting to re-consider full suspension of Fiji. At this point, Commonwealth Political Director Amitav Banerji reportedly said he was very "frustrated" that CMAG had not yet met to discuss Fiji, especially as the Commonwealth's credibility could be damaged by not taking a decision as indicated at the last meeting, Wikileaks reported of a meeting in June, 2009.
"He said CMAG had not met purely for scheduling reasons, and that the Secretariat hopes to hold the meeting by the end of the month, though he was not confident it would be possible," the report said.
"He thought CMAG would move for full suspension of Fiji, intimating there had been difficult discussions at the previous CMAG meeting on Fiji with New Zealand pushing hard for full suspension and Malaysia wanting to ensure that Fiji did not withdraw from the Commonwealth to pre-empt a full suspension a la Zimbabwe."
It was not until the end of July last year that CMAG agreed to give the Fiji government a month to reactivate the President's Political Dialogue Forum process, facilitated by the Commonwealth and the United Nations.
Fiji was fully suspended from the Commonwealth on September 1, 2009. - The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
