"The Hand in the President’s Glove”

This was the interviewers statement that flummoxed Bainimarama to the extent where he could only respond with “Umm Ahhh (sheepish grin)…I, I, I really do not want to talk about that” in the now infamous Graham Davis exclusive interview for Sky News.

Check it out in part 1 of the 3 part series available for on-line viewing (thanks to U-tube) here, at the 8:33 mark.

Part 2 of the interview is available for on-line viewing here.

At the 3:44 mark in part 2, Bainimarama burns the bridges to Tonga by accusing Tongan PM, Dr. Sevele, as having coerced him into agreeing to a 2009 election date to appease the rest of the leaders. That surely must what the illegal Attorney General is referring to when lashing out reactively to the PIF on our suspension, vis a viz “very strong ties with our brothers and sisters in the Pacific”?

It could also be Aiyaz’s subliminal call to the NZ Maori Party who become mistakenly compelled to help Fiji out as Maori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia, nobly asserts. Forget it lady, you don’t want to dip your paddle with Bainimarama’s morally corrupt and now alone canoe. What would make empathy from the Maori’s gain more democratic commitments than past attempts from 15 Pacific Island leaders with whom we share extensive history and blood?

On that note, the Australian Opposition’s views on the need for the relocation of the Forum Secretariat headquarters will be worth watching.

At the 5:56 mark of the second part of the interview, Bainimarama further divides and rules the Pacific by declaring that American Samoa, because they decided to take up the mantle of Fiji with Hilary Clinton, “understands what’s happening in Fiji”.

Up until Congressman Eni Faleomavaega’s sudden visit here, American Samoa had no visibility or relevance in this country. Perhaps the visit was also related to the sale of BP in the Pacific (which includes their presence in American Samoa) to Fijian Holdings Ltd, and the fact that the American Samoa Power Authority, a semi autonomous agency of the government, had announced it was negotiating a fuel purchasing agreement with Mobil Oil to take over its market share.

Also very telling in the interview is that our foreign reserves is down to 1.8 months (and not 3 months as interviewer Graham Davis had thought)…check that statement out at the 6:30 mark. Bainimarama backs up the sorry free-fall state of the economy with the assertion that “that was one of the reasons why we devalued the dollar, the Fiji dollar about 2 weeks ago” at the 6:50 mark.

More telling sound-bites:
7:58 mark – “because we protect our tourist industry” – Bainimarama
8:04 mark - “crime has dropped drastically” – Bainimarama

Part 3 of the interview is available for on-line viewing here.

Early in part 3 at the 1:41 mark the question “do you think you’ve isolated all potential threats to yourself in the military?”, was confidently responded with “All Gone”.

Davis - “So everybody in the military is loyal to you?”
Bainimarama – “E Yes”
Davis – “So there is no split?”
Bainimarama – “There’s no split”
Davis – “…as you said, no split”
Bainimarama – “None”

That is quite interesting when you view that against documents posted up on the “Stop Persecuting Fiji” blog: namely Lt Col Filipo Tarakinikini’s resignation letter and eyewitness accounts of other RFMF Colonel’s on Bainimarama's order (and subsequent reaction to contrary advice) in 2004 to put together a plan to topple the Qarase government.