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SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Feb. 5) –Telesource Fiji, a subsidiary of Illinois-based Telesource International, has been awarded a 20-year, multi-million dollar contract by the Fiji Electric Authority to operate three diesel power plants in Fiji.

The plants, located in Kinoya, Vuda and Labasa, have a combined generation capacity of 78 megawatts

Telesource is working with the unions to complete employment terms for FEA employees that are to be transferred by FEA to Telesource.

Telesource says it has agreed to offer employment contracts to existing FEA employees on terms and conditions equal to or greater that their current arrangement with FEA.

The company said all agreements are expected to be completed with takeover of the three facilities occurring on or before March 15. The specific terms of the contract were not disclosed.

February 5, 2003

For additional reports from the Marianas Variety, go to PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT News/Information...

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Feb. 5) - New Zealand's High Commissioner to Australia has been drawn into a political row, over whether the government withheld information about Australia's military commitment to Iraq.

A leaked document reveals Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told New Zealand's representative, Kate Lackey, it would be difficult to withdraw Australian ships from the Persian Gulf, if the United Nations process to disarm Iraq failed.

The Opposition says the document is evidence the Government has not been honest about its commitment to joining an attack on Iraq.

But Downer says he was referring only to the ships involved in enforcing sanctions against Iraq, and not the troops sent recently to the Gulf.

Ms Lackey supports the Foreign Minister's comments.

"There was no suggestion at the time I spoke to Mr Downer in October, no suggestion you know of any forward deployment whatsoever to Iraq."

February 5, 2003

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SUVA, Fiji (Radio Australia, Feb. 5) - Fiji is trying to follow the example of New Zealand’s success in attracting film productions, following the phenomenal international success of "The Lord of the Rings".

But its sights are set on Bollywood - not Hollywood.

A member of the Fiji government has returned from a series of high-level meetings in India, claiming the massive Mumbai-based film industry is considering Pacific locations in which to shoot films.

Fiji, with an Indian community large enough to provide movie extras, believes it’s in the running.

George Raj, Fiji’s multi-ethnic affairs minister, says movies were high on his list of priorities when he visited India last month.

"With 800 Hindi-language movies produced each year, the so-called Bollywood film…often serious drama based around schmaltzy song and dance routines…is now second only to Hollywood," said Raj.

"The industry earns an estimated A$1.2 billion a year, and that figure...

SUVA, Fiji (RNZI, Feb. 5) - The deputy speaker of Fiji’s parliament, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure, has escaped arrest for failing to turn up as a defense witness in the treason trial of coup accomplice, Timoci Silatolu.

Sialatolu’s state-funded defense lawyer, Sevuloni Valenitabua, declined an offer by Justice Andrew Wilson to issue a warrent for Ratu Rakuita’s arrest.

Two government ministers, the sports minister, Isireli Leweniqila, and the assistant minister in the prime minister’s office, Simione Kaitani, also failed to appear for the defense although Valenituba had earlier said they would.

This led to the premature end of Silatolu’s trial and the appearance of his co-accused, Josefa Nata, in the witness box.

Nata’s state-funded lawyer, Alexander Wolfe, said he would be calling as witnesses government ministers, Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, and some of the convicts serving jail sentences for their role in the coup...