Former president condemns current Nauru leadership

Transcript

A former president of Nauru, who has been involved in anti government protests this week, says they are waiting for a response to their demands.

Protests over the past two days in front of the Parliament have angered the government which dubbed them a riot.

But Sprent Dabwido says it was mostly peaceful until police got heavy handed.

He says the protesters are now re-grouping but are still demanding Justice Minister David Adeang and President Baron Waqa step aside while there are allegations of corruption hanging over them.

This follows Australian media reports the Australian Federal Police are investigating a Queensland phosphate importer for allegedly making payments to the two politicians.

Mr Dabwido told Don Wiseman the duo are besmirching the name of Nauru by not standing down.

SPRENT DABWIDO: After the investigation has proved them guilty or innocent then they can either come back if they are innocent or then they face the Justice. The second is the demand was to the speaker of parliament that he lift the unconstitutional suspension of the five members and reinstate them into the parliament so they can discuss the national budget that was meant to be discussed yesterday. We did not mean to stop the budget for any reason but to be there to be able to debate it on behalf of our people.

DON WISEMAN: And what has happened with the budget?

SD: Well apparently the budget passed with flying colours and nobody would know because there is just one or two opposition. What do you expect? So we don't even know the contents of the budget nobody knows.

DW: Matthew Batsiua was arrested, do you fear that there are going to be additional arrests?

SD: Whatever Matthew has been charged with while he was there they should charge the 300 protesters as well. Whatever Matthew Batsiua did there 200 or 400 people where doing exactly the same thing including me.

DW: The government had called it a riot was it a riot?

SD: It did not a riot, it is not a riot. It was meant to be a peaceful protest until the police would not even allow us to protest.

DW: Was there any destruction of property?

SD: Yes there was destruction of property. That was a, you know these are simple mistakes that happen with people over, over anxious and they fall on other people and then people start a domino effect and then glasses break.

DW: But nothing of any consequence?

SD: Well to me you know the real criminals are the people inside the house.

DW: As far as the protest goes as you say you are regrouping. So what's next because you've got this government coming down very hard. Riot police out on the job yesterday coming down on you. So what are you going to do next?

SD: Well I think the first step is to, if they are even willing, to discuss this protest that happened. We have given them our demands they have never been replied to our demands. So we are going to see what else we can do for them to actually be able to listen to our demands and come up with a reply.

DW: The most likely thing is that they will just ignore your demands won't they?

SD: Well I think that is their tactic so far in the past few days we pleaded to them, we yelled at them but no reply. So we are going to see what else can we do to make them actually try to respond to us.