Friday, 5 February, 2021
Government Information Office
MEDIA
STATEMENT
For
Immediate Release
Friday, 5
February, 2021
Pacific is united despite
Micronesia's disappointment: Aingimea
His
Excellency President Lionel Aingimea told leaders at the virtual
meeting of the Pacific Island Forum leaders, 4 February, that
Micronesia is very disappointed that the plea of Micronesia was
heard by eight Pacific countries only.
"To say
we're [Micronesian countries] disappointed is an understatement,"
President Aingimea told leaders.
The
disappointment is with the total disregard of Micronesia's request
to honour the Gentleman's Agreement that the position of secretary
general be rotated among the three sub-regions of Micronesia,
Polynesia and Melanesia.
Micronesia has only ever held the SG post once, whereas
Melanesia and Polynesia have each held the position three times.
Reform of the process is needed for a fairer process so that each
sub-region has that opportunity to lead the organisation which the
President says may lead to less in-fighting and anger amongst
leaders.
One of
the reforms is to make the Gentleman's Agreement official and
legitimise its use in future elections of the SG.
Nauru was
united with Micronesia in agreeing to one candidate for its region
which President Aingimea says the same unity could be had for the
rest of the region.
Micronesian leaders stand by their current communiqué of
leaving the PIF if the Gentleman's Agreement is not honoured; they
will meet on Monday 8 February to discuss the issue at
length.
President
Aingimea's position is that if this is the way Micronesia is
treated then it is better off withdrawing from the
Forum.
In
respect of rotating the SG position, the President says each
country has talented people fit to hold such positions, noting that
all the five candidates for the SG position were all "fantastic
candidates - all eligible, all peers in their own rights within
their own respective environment and in their own
atmosphere."
Despite
the power struggle of recent events, President Aingimea says the
unity of the Pacific is not broken but rather is united in their
actions in their region. Leaders may have heated debates on issues
but when they are outside internationally, "we stand
together".
When
other Pacific countries come to Nauru for support to stand with
them on international issues, the President says, "yes we will
stand next to them," noting that not too long ago Fiji approached
Nauru seeking support for the election of their candidate to the UN
human rights council for presidency, and "Nauru stood by
them."
The
virtual meeting of leaders was decidedly harder than face to face
meetings. It takes away the Pacific way of straight talk and
negations but that is the way the world is right now with the new
norms in virtual meetings brought about by COVID-19 and travel
restrictions.