Samoan PM Tuilaepa a lapdog of Aust, NZ: Fiji PM Bainimarama
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama Tuesday called his Samoan Prime counterpart a lap dog of Australia and New Zealand.
Bainimarama was responding to an unprovoked and deliberately insulating attack on him by Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. Tuilaepa had criticised Bainimarama for declining to go to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders summit until the issue of the Australian and New Zealand membership is adressed.
Tuilaepa said: “Bainimarama’s issue is insignificant. Remember all the man did was to play the drums and train,” he said.
Bainimarama said “We've heard this yapping from the Samoan lapdog before. Its means nothing.At least i can play an instrument. All he can do is bark and dances to tunes until they feed him again,” Bainimarama said.
Bainimarama said for the past six years to seven years “no one cared much about Fiji joining PIF.
“Everyone's jumping up and down for nothing. We will stay away until things change in the composition of PIF.
“PIF will continue this year and years to follow with or without Fiji. All we are saying is that Australia and NZ should remain funders but not be part of PIF because they bring in a lot of influence with their $ when their agenda is totally against that of the Pacific Island nations.
“The most important of all is climate change. We will continue with PIDF (Pacific Islands Development Forum). That comment by the NZ Prime Minister John Key questioning funding, if they are no longer members, shows how poor they view our relationship.
“Im glad for the first time the inclusion of the private sector and civil societies is mentioned.
“We must be doing something right with PIDF. It will be interesting to see if climate change is going to be in the next PIF agenda,” said Bainimarama.
Tuilaepa's own constant agenda has been to get the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and other regional organisations moved from Suva to the Samoan capital Apia.
He sees this as both lifting his own prestige and helping the struggling Samoan economy.
His latest comments and their deliberately insulting tone, can be seen as just another attempt to provoke Fiji into doing something that will lead to the Forum Secretariat moving.
SOURCE: FIJI SUN
Bainimarama was responding to an unprovoked and deliberately insulating attack on him by Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. Tuilaepa had criticised Bainimarama for declining to go to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders summit until the issue of the Australian and New Zealand membership is adressed.
Tuilaepa said: “Bainimarama’s issue is insignificant. Remember all the man did was to play the drums and train,” he said.
Bainimarama said “We've heard this yapping from the Samoan lapdog before. Its means nothing.At least i can play an instrument. All he can do is bark and dances to tunes until they feed him again,” Bainimarama said.
Bainimarama said for the past six years to seven years “no one cared much about Fiji joining PIF.
“Everyone's jumping up and down for nothing. We will stay away until things change in the composition of PIF.
“PIF will continue this year and years to follow with or without Fiji. All we are saying is that Australia and NZ should remain funders but not be part of PIF because they bring in a lot of influence with their $ when their agenda is totally against that of the Pacific Island nations.
“The most important of all is climate change. We will continue with PIDF (Pacific Islands Development Forum). That comment by the NZ Prime Minister John Key questioning funding, if they are no longer members, shows how poor they view our relationship.
“Im glad for the first time the inclusion of the private sector and civil societies is mentioned.
“We must be doing something right with PIDF. It will be interesting to see if climate change is going to be in the next PIF agenda,” said Bainimarama.
Tuilaepa's own constant agenda has been to get the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and other regional organisations moved from Suva to the Samoan capital Apia.
He sees this as both lifting his own prestige and helping the struggling Samoan economy.
His latest comments and their deliberately insulting tone, can be seen as just another attempt to provoke Fiji into doing something that will lead to the Forum Secretariat moving.
SOURCE: FIJI SUN
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