10 Apr 2015

Fiji PM called childish over planned Forum no-show

7:21 am on 10 April 2015

Fiji's opposition leader says prime minister Frank Bainimarama is being childish in refusing to attend this year's summit of Pacific leaders in Papua New Guinea.

Ro Teimumu Kepa, Fiji's SODELPA leader

Ro Teimumu Kepa, Fiji's SODELPA leader Photo: RNZ / Republika

Mr Bainimarama announced earlier this week he was not going to the Pacific Islands Forum summit.

Ro Teimumu Kepa says it is important for Pacific leaders to see that it is Mr Bainimarama's vendetta with Australia and New Zealand driving this.

He wants both countries out of the Forum or the membership broadened to include other donor nations.

Ro Teimumu says Mr Bainimarama is sulking because the metropolitan countries led opposition to his coup in 2006.

"In my view that is very childish behaviour because the two countries have assisted us long before 2006, in terms of the aid packages that they have provided for us; in terms of the assistance they have given us in the past and we have seen that when the natural disasters happen in Fiji."