KEY POINTS:
Fiji is dominating the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga before it has even begun.
Controversy began last night with Fiji's military leader and interim Prime Minister, Voreque Baini-marama, attending a Commonwealth dinner in Nuku'alofa despite his country having been suspended from the Commonwealth after the military coup last December.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon yesterday justified extending an invitation to Commodore Bainimarama on the grounds of promoting dialogue.
"As Commonwealth Secretary-General, when the Commonwealth suspends a member country as was done with Fiji, the Secretary-General, me, has a responsibility to get into the leader of that whatever and encourage them ... back on to the democratic train and back into a full democracy.
"It is my job to get into dialogue with the commodore."
Mr McKinnon said he had not met the commodore for a couple of years "before all this happened".
As outgoing Secretary-General he wanted to host a dinner to repay some of the hospitality he had received in the past from the leaders.
Prime Minister Helen Clark was due to arrive in Nuku'alofa last night but it was not known whether she was planning to attend the dinner.
Fiji has not been suspended from the forum.
The gathering is expected to encourage Fiji to make firmer commitments to hold democratic elections by March 2009.
It will be opened officially this morning by King George Tupou V.
A pro-democracy march is said to be planned despite emergency regulations banning such marches being extended last Friday for a further 30 days.
Security is very tight in Nuku'alofa with roadblocks surrounding the Dateline Hotel where most of the leaders are staying.
The leaders' ranks will be severely depleted this year. Not only are Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Kiribati Prime Minister Atone Tong absent because of elections, but Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has decided to boycott the meeting because of the forum review of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi). It was conducted by two respected regional figures, former Fiji Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola and former New Zealand foreign affairs secretary Neil Walter.
Mr Sogavare said his Government had decided not to participate in Tonga "because it felt that discrepancies emerging from the forum review of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands need to be sorted out first."
In a letter to Tongan Prime Minister Fred Sevele, he had said he "would not want the Ramsi issue to overshadow and deprive the full attention of leaders from other equally important matters on the forum agenda".
He has gone on an official visit to Taiwan instead.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is scheduled to meet Helen Clark this morning, ahead of the formal opening.
It will be the first time the pair have spoken since falling out over her angry response to Air New Zealand ferrying Iraq-bound Australian troops to the Middle East, during which time she hit out at him for addressing the New Zealand National Party conference.
