Letter from Suva
Twists And Turns In The Forum Secretary-General Race
It's countdown time. By the end of this month applications will have closed and we will know who has applied for the plum job at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva.
The position: Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General, one of the most prestigious, influential and best paid regional positions. Current holder: Papua New Guinea's Noel Levi.
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Plum job: Because of all the perks, prestige and influence on regional policy and development it brings.
Levi's second of two three-year terms as the leading public servant of the 16-nation Forum expires at the end of the year. A decision on who gets the job next is expected to be confirmed during the Forum leaders' summit in Auckland in August. So how goes the race for the top job?
When this edition of Islands Business went to press, only three applications had been received by Fiji's prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, currently Forum chairperson.
They were from the Tongan, Nauruan and the Samoan governments. Tonga is nominating 61-year old former government minister Dr Senipisi Kavaliku Langi, currently chair of the University of the South Pacific Council. Dr Kavaliku is academically highly qualified with a long background of both public and private sector involvement. He has been described by Forum observers as an outstanding candidate and almost unbeatable.
Nauru is nominating Vinci Clodumar, its permanent representative to the United Nations. He is someone who knows regional and international organisations. But much-troubled Nauru is not currently a name that inspires international confidence, no matter how qualified the candidate. Samoa is nominating Tagaloa Tuala Tagaloa, a lawyer and currently Minister for Lands. He is also a former head of Samoa's justice department. Levi's deputy is a Samoan, Iosefa Maiava. So this is a nomination causing some raised eyebrows.
Yet to be officially received was Australia's application. Australia has said it is nominating Greg Urwin, a former Australian high commissioner to Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu. He spent 25 years working on Pacific Islands issues and is well regarded in the region. His years in the region earned him the title of "tribal elder of Australian Pacific policy as well as something of a connoisseur of kava".
Urwin is at the moment working in Fiji with the United Nations Development Programme.
Despite Urwin's personal standing in the region, news of Australia's plans brought strong objections from within several Forum islands countries. This is the first time either Australia or New Zealand has gone after a position traditionally held by someone from one of the Forum's 14 islands countries. One senior islands official privately accused Australia of "deliberately contravening long-standing convention".
Fiji and New Zealand are following the convention and not putting up candidates. New Zealand, according to foreign minister Phil Goff, "will work with all our friends and neighbours in the Pacific through a process of consensus to determine who is the best candidate among those that have been put forward by the Pacific islands countries."
Fiji is understood to be backing the Tongan candidate. Despite suggestions it would also nominate a candidate after the Australian move, Fiji is following the convention that, as Forum Secretariat host, it does not nominate a candidate.
But Australia's move is not the only thing being planned to break with "convention", according to well informed sources.
Levi, the current secretary-general, is going for another shot at the job, they have confirmed. Levi was in Papua New Guinea recently lobbying for support from Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, deputy prime minister Dr Allan Marat, and foreign minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu. Senior government officials there confirmed that Levi now has his government's backing. But on one condition: that is if the Forum rules allow it.
Levi is hoping to convince the Forum leaders that under the employment rules relating to professional staff he can now reapply for the position for a third term. This follows recent rule changes. Previously, these only allowed professional staff to serve a maximum of two three-year terms at the Forum Secretariat. The idea was to ensure there was regular infusions of free ideas, as well as for the experience and exposure of working at the Forum Secretariat to be shared around the region. Those who worked at the Forum Secretariat would, it was hoped, return home after their terms to contribute this to their own countries.
But under the recent changes staff can now serve three years, plus apply for and be granted another three years. At the end of this six years the position then has to be advertised. But instead of having to automatically leave, the current staff member can now also reapply, competing against others who apply.
One of the first examples of this was Ulafala Aiavao, the Samoan who is the Forum's media adviser. Aiavao's predecessor, Solomon Islander Alfred Sasako, had to leave automatically after doing the maximum of two three-year terms.
But under the new rules, Aiavao was able to reapply when his job was advertised after he had done his two three-year terms (six years). He applied and has now been appointed for his third three-year term, winning the position again ahead of a list of candidates.
This is the same provision Levi contends applies to the secretary-general's position under the new rules, the sources said.
Levi's decision has brought some rumblings among Forum officials. One senior regional official, describing it as "unprecedented", said it would be the prerogative of the leaders to decide who gets the job. It will be interesting to see how the leaders interpret the Forum rules Levi is referring to.
One senior regional foreign affairs official said: "The understanding has always been that once the SG has served his two terms, he bows out gracefully to create opportunities for others and allow for new perspectives and new insight.
"In fact there are some very good candidates applying for the job this time and it would be hard to see how the leaders will select him again. I think it is about time he puts aside his personal interest and thinks of the region."
A Forum observer based in Fiji, who did not want to be named, said Levi's unprecedented move is likely to open up questions about his tenure. At least one decision he made during it is likely to come under some scrutiny, the observer said.
Why so much competition for the position? Apart from the influence on regional development and policy plus the prestige, it also attracts a lucrative regional remuneration package. In a number of cases he (there has never been a woman secretary-general) earns more than the prime ministers of the governments he serves.
The secretary-general gets the following as part of his remuneration package:
- Basic salary - Between F$105,683 to F$158,5253, tax free for non-Fiji citizens.
- Superannuation - 8% of basic salary.
- Annual leave - 25 days.
- Sick leave - 30 days.
- Education allowance: F$13,043 per child or F$39,129 per family.
- Life insurance - Three times the basic salary.
- Housing - Rent-free furnished house.
- Representation allowance - $5000
- Free electricity.
- Vehicle and a driver.
- First class air travel.
- 40% top up on standard per diem.
- Telephone allowance.
Plus - for those who like such things - regular opportunities for executive travel with all the trappings.
Definitely a plum job. But the hope is that in Auckland the Forum leaders will select someone who wants the job mostly because he wants to serve the region.
