Provocative nominee for diplomatic job a test, says Fiji

Fiji says it was testing New Zealand by putting up a provocative candidate for appointment to its high commission in Wellington.

The proposed appointment of permanent secretary for information and military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni as a counsellor at the high commission is seen as a slap in the face for New Zealand.

It is provocative given the Government's travel ban on members of the military-led regime, which was installed after a coup in 2006 led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who is now Prime Minister.

Lieutenant Colonel Leweni played a central role in the coup and is responsible for censoring media, deporting journalists and curbing free speech.

Fiji's land force commander, Brigadier Pita Driti, said putting him forward as counsellor was a "test" for the New Zealand Government.

"We are just testing New Zealand's genuity, you know, in having to arrange certain names to see how far they can accommodate what we want and if they accept Leweni, it's a great move," he told Auckland's Radio Tarana.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the Government's position on not commenting on appointments while they were under consideration was still in place. Last week when the candidate was proposed Prime Minister John Key also declined to get into a public debate.

Relations between New Zealand and Fiji deteriorated last year with the tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats, which followed Commodore Bainimarama's rejection of international deadlines for elections and measures against the media.

New Zealand and Fiji agreed this month to improve diplomatic relations after Mr McCully talked to his Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, about appointments in Suva and Wellington of extra counsellors.

- NZPA