Former Nauru president Baron Waqa arrived in Rarotonga on Sunday local time for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum from 6-10 November 2023. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
The controversial former Nauru president expected to become the next secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum says appointment is "decided" and slammed critics who "just want to spoil things".
As he landed in Rarotonga for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting close to midnight Sunday, Cook Islands time, Baron Waqa told RNZ Pacific he was "excited".
"We need to get everyone together. Reunited and refocused again," Waqa said, in his first-ever interview with the media directly addressing his candidacy as the region's top diplomat.
Waqa arrived in the shadows of Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Samoa Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, the Federated States of Micronesia President Wesley Simina and the newly elected Nauru President David Adeang.
While Waqa arrived on the same flight as the leaders - the inaugural Fiji Airways charter flight to Rarotonga - the leaders were welcomed by traditional dancers, and Waqa walked away from the glimmer through to the domestic arrivals area as he is not a head of state.
There were around 100 Fijians at the airport to greet their Prime Minister Rabuka, breaking into song as he greeted them from the VIP lounge.
Also on the flight was Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's climate minister. Regenvanu is attending in place of Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.
On the tarmac, Regenvanu told RNZ Pacific he hopes to achieve "Pacific unity, if possible".
On Monday morning local time, the Forum Leaders Summit kicks-off - leaders will split off into their sub-regional groupings to discuss their priorities.
The Baron Waqa for secretary general question is likely to be on the Micronesian leaders agenda because it is them who will decide who their candidate for the role will be.
The Waqa appointment was made as part of a raft of measures to repair a rift that had threatened to sink the regional body earlier this year.
However, since then questions have been raised over Waqa's suitability to lead the largest regional grouping.
Waqa was a controversial figure during his time as Nauru president, for his treatment of refugees and the judiciary, while there are accusations, he received bribes in a case that remains open.
When asked what he has to say to the critics he said: "Unfounded. They'll just just want to spoil things," Waqa said.
"It's [his appointment as secretary-general] already been decided", he said, before adding "no, we leave that to the leaders."
His candidacy was accepted by the leaders as part of the Suva Agreement in February to heal the fracture within the Forum.
The expectation is that incumbent secretary-general Henry Puna will stand down from the role in the first half of 2024 and that is when Waqa, if he is still the Micronesian candidate for the role after the leader's Summit, will step into the role.
"There's so much to be done," Waqa told RNZ Pacific.
He believes this forum is a "very good platform to move forward".
Waqa's attendance indicates that leaders will endorse his appointment and if he does manage to cling onto his candidacy, he said his focus in the role would be climate change and development programs "that we need to get put together and filtered down to the to the grassroots countries [sic] very, very important" in the region.
The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will be held from 6-10 November (Cook Islands time).