John Key

By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington, May 3 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the Pacific Islands Forum suspension of Fiji from the regional body but is less excited by a proposal that a delegation of Maori leaders visit the troubled country.

At midnight on Friday Fiji was suspended from the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum. It was an unprecedented move for the forum, which takes a Pacific-style inclusive approach.

Suspension came as a forum deadline lapsed for Fiji coup leader Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama to set a date for democratic elections this year.

Forum chairman Toke Talagi confirmed the suspension with "considerable sorrow and disappointment".

"This difficult decision, agreed unanimously between all forum leaders at our retreat in Port Moresby on January 27, 2009, responds to Cdre Bainimarama's failure to address constructively by May 1, 2009 the expectations of forum leaders to return Fiji to democratic governance in an acceptable time-frame."

Mr Key told NZPA he did not doubt the forum would hold to its commitment to suspend Fiji.

"The forum has, and New Zealand continues, to be more than willing to work with Frank Bainimarama if he wishes to restore democracy in Fiji."

This morning Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia raised the idea of sending a Maori delegation to the forum on TV One's Q&A programme.

Fellow co-leader Pita Sharples had advocated the idea and suggested taking Ngati Tuwharetoa chief Tumu Te Heu Heu and Maori King Tuheitia Paki.

"(The idea was) maybe a very small delegation that could go and talk with Bainimarama because I think that in a lot of ways there's been a misunderstanding about what it is that he is trying to achieve."

Mrs Turia said Cdre Bainimarama was trying to remove racism from the voting system which was biased towards indigenous Fijians.

Cdre Bainimarama took power in 2006. Last month after the Court of Appeal ruled his regime was illegal, the judiciary were sacked, the constitution dissolved and the date for elections moved further into the future.

New Zealand and other countries have stated the voting system could have been changed if elections were held and the government decided to do so.

Mrs Turia said it was not good to isolate Fiji.

"We're a Pacific people ourselves, we are tied together by the waters of the Pacific, and we should be trying to work this issue out, and that's why we think somebody should go."

Mr Key said Cdre Bainimarama had not attended special forum meetings to consider Fiji and dialogue with people such as Commonwealth special envoy Sir Paul Reeves and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare had not made progress.

He believed the forum was the right body to handle Fiji but if a Maori delegation wanted to go they could.

"We're not going to stop anyone trying to travel."

Mr Key said the suspension was "a sad day for Fiji".

He said the Fijian people and economy would suffer because of the Commodore's position.

Fiji Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has blamed New Zealand and Australia for the move and said it was not practical to have elections sooner.

Mr Key disagreed and highlighted that the decision was unanimous.

Asked if New Zealand would host the forum secretariat if it was ousted from Fiji Mr Key said he was open to the idea but preferred a Pacific island nation to host it. He said there was no indication at this point that it could not continue operating out of Fiji.

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