More Nauru MPs join criticism of observer mission

Transcript

More Nauru MPs are asking why the Commonwealth Secretariat's observer mission didn't seek out opposition voices.

A two-man mission concluded the rule of law was being upheld in Nauru, despite condemnation by the New Zealand government, deported judges, and elected Nauru MPs.

And despite the observer's programme listing the two opposition MPs that remain in parliament, they never met them.

Alex Perrottet reports.

Squire Jeremiah was charged alongside three other MPs for being involved in a protest in June.

They also had their passports cancelled.

Mr Jeremiah says the men - Albert Mariner from the Commonwealth Secretariat and the foreign affairs minister of Solomon Islands, Milner Tozaka - were unprofessional.

SQUIRE JEREMIAH: Disappointing and ridiculous I would say, because he thought his visit may be as popular as he may think but no one [was] aware that they were visiting. And I thought it would be important for him to speak to the opposition, other than the government themselves.

Albert Mariner says the two opposition MPs who remain in parliament - former President Marcus Stephen, and Riddell Akua, were on the programme, that was given to them by the Nauru government.

But they never met them.

Another suspended MP is Roland Kun. He can't reach his family in New Zealand, because despite not being charged, his passport is cancelled.

And his application in the courts was thrown out for being out of time, entirely due to legal delays by government lawyers.

Roland Kun says he approached the observers on the final night of their stay, and was heard.

Milner Tozaka says the other MPs should have done the same if they wanted their say.

But another suspended MP, Mathew Batsiua, says that is senseless.

MATHEW BATSIUA: It was supposed to be a fact-finding mission on the claims that there are breaches of the rule of law in Nauru, and you would think that the common sense thing to do would be go straight to the source who are making those claims. But they didn't bother to include us in the programme. Maybe they were discouraged by the government not to meet with us, I'm not sure.

Ahead of next year's election, Mr Batsiua has accused the government of courting the public with public funds.

He says it's abusing inaugural flights to send voters on junkets.

MATHEW BATSIUA: They give them free flights, free accommodation, allowances, spending money to destinations all across the Pacific. And you know we accept that there are a concept of inaugural flights, you know when you fly a new route, that's acceptable to have inaugural flights to celebrate the opening of that new route, but to repeat the inaugural flights three or four times with plane-loads of people.

Nauru's President, Baron Waqa, released his Christmas greeting this week, slamming international media for spreading lies.

He earlier told New Zealand it was ignorant to cut off aid funds.

But Murray McCully is on the side of the judges, magistrates and other workers have been deported from the island nation who say the Justice Minister David Adeang is pursuing a personal vendetta.

The charged MPs have their next day in court in January, while Mr Kun remains very short of further options to reach his family.