Let Fiji stay —Mr Bolger

Press, 17 October 1987, Page 1

Let Fiji stay —Mr Bolger

Political reporter

Fiji ought to be. allo wed to stay in the Commonwealth/ according E&> the Leader of the Opposition, \Mr Bolger. >. :■¥ He told a student dinner at the University of Waikato last evening that of the 49 members of the Commonwealth, six were one-party States, two had no elected legislature at all, and two (Bangladesh and Fiji) were under some form of martial law. , Those facts showed that no particular form of Government was required before a nation could either remain or become a member of the Commonwealth.

Mr Bolger also said that the internal policies followed by some member States would not bear scrutiny. For example, Uganda had remained in the Commonwealth during the reign of Idi Amin, whose brutal policies had shocked the world. So while New Zealanders rejected the overthrow of democracy and establishment of a military Government in Fiji, it

was still desirable - for Fiji to remain a member of the Commonwealth, Mr Bolger said. . While New Zealand had now to accept the reality \that democracy . in. Fiji=■ hadoverturned, it should hot abandon Fiji. Fiji was an important proWestern nation in the South Pacific and New Zealand should seek to use its influence to persuade the present military Government there to return Fiji to democratic rule, he said. That clearly would not happen overnight. But now was the time for calm heads to prevail to avoid forcing Fiji to cut its ties with traditional friends such as New rZealand. /

It had to be remembered that New Zealand had maintained its diplomatic post in Chile in spite of the military take-over that had occurred there some years ago It was easy to look overseas and see the faults and failings in other countries. > ? .

Further reports, page 2 and 8 :