Transcript
INOKE KUBUABOLA: I think he is either suffering from memory loss or trying to play politics with his own constituents. He has forgotten that it was during his term as chair of the MSG when Indonesia was admitted to the MSG as an associate member. All members of the MSG had agreed. So I don't know what the deputy prime minister Sogavare is up to because he was chairing that MSG meeting. That meeting took place in Honiara and deputy prime minister Sogavare was prime minister when that meeting took place. I cannot really understand why he is making this statement, trying to put the blame on our prime minister, because all the (MSG) members agreed to admit Indonesia as an associate member.
JOHNNY BLADES: You're saying it's wrong for him to accuse Fiji of doing this alone because it's a group...
IK: That's right, because it's by consensus. Everybody had agreed, and also not only when (Indonesia was admitted) as an associate member but also back to when they became an observer. Why put the blame on Fiji when everybody agreed?
JB: This Indonesia factor has been quite divisive, has it not, in the group?
IK: Well, the position of Papua New Guinea and Fiji has been "really clear, and the new prime minister of Solomon Islands, in the last meeting in Port Moresby, about three weeks ago, he took a similar position.
JB: And is that also a position against the United Liberation Movement for West Papua joining MSG in any further capacity as a full member?
IK: The agreed position was for the new guidelines. The guidelines of membership for observer and associate membership and also full membership were agreed on by the leaders and for the West Papua application to be referred to the secretariat. That was the decision taken in Moresby three weeks ago.
JB: Right, so that's being processed by the secretariat, is that right?
IK: That's right.
JB: So does that mean it's a technical decision rather than one that will be made by the leaders?
IK: Well, that application has to be processed through the secretariat against the membership guidelines. Then it comes back through the process of a senior officials meeting, then foreign ministers, then the leaders.
JB: So it could be next year (when a decision gets made), do you think?
IK: Could be... could be.
JB: This is dragging on, isn't it, this whole West Papua membership thing?
IK: I think we've finished with the interview. You were asking me about the statement by Mr Sogavare. Thank you very much for the interview Johnny.
