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.
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