The government of Kiribati is suspending all diplomatic visits to the tiny Pacific island nation until next year and has canceled some already planned, because it is in the middle of an election process that could run for several more months, an official said on Thursday.
The official in the Kiribati Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters that a message announcing the pause in diplomatic trips was sent earlier this week to countries that have diplomatic relations with Kiribati — a low-lying atoll of 120,000 people.
It follows escalating friction between Kiribati and Western nations — particularly Australia, a major aid donor — over the country’s deepening ties with China.
Photo: AFP
Its proximity to Hawaii and location in a huge ocean expanse have bolstered its strategic importance and provoked an influence skirmish between Western powers and China.
A national election was held for 44 of the 45 seats in Kiribati’s parliament this month — although the winners have yet to declare their party affiliations and it is not known which bloc would form the government.
Negotiations have begun to decide the governing group and a president would be chosen when nominees are put to a public vote, expected in October.
Officials cannot accommodate diplomatic visits until a government is formed and a president elected, ministry spokesperson Turia Tekirua said in a telephone interview.
Small delegations could apply for exemptions, Tekirua added.
Some analysts said that while Kiribati’s bureaucracy is small, the suspension could reflect a desire to avoid foreign checks on its government formation process.
“It does reflect a pattern of seeking to avoid international scrutiny, which we have seen under this government,” said Mihai Sora, director of the Pacific islands program at the Lowy Institute, an Australia-based think tank.
The suspension could also “provide a degree of political cover for the intense lobbying and dealmaking that will now be taking place” ahead of the presidential vote, Sora added.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS