Treatment of Nauru MP ‘evil’

NAURU – A former President of Nauru says he’s dismayed there is little international reaction against the treatment of elected MPs in his country.

Ahead of a July 9 election, suspended MPs are running as candidates despite concerns over their futures and their eligibility.

Sprent Dabwido said while he and two other opposition MPs have been charged for their alleged role in a protest a year ago, another MP, Roland Kun, who faces no charges, has been prevented for a year from visiting his New Zealand based family.

He said Justice Minster David Adeang has been the driving force behind Kun’s treatment.

“Adeang has done everything in his power to keep Kun stuck here on the island so he doesn’t fly out, so it’s a real messy thing and a real evil thing this minister is doing. That’s cruel, that’s not even politics, that’s just rubbish.”

Dabwido said the MPs are due in court on August 8, a month after the election.

In September last year the New Zealand suspended its funding of Nauru’s Justice sector, with Foreign Minister Murray McCully citing concerns about the rule of law.

However, the Australian government, which supplies most of Nauru’s aid and has one of its asylum seeker detention centres on the island, has said little.

- RNZI