CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 262 | 04 August 2008
Rasmussen nominated for top Forum job
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cultural Development Hon Wilkie Rasmussen has agreed to Cabinet nominating him for the position of Secretary General of the Forum of Pacific countries.
Prime Minister Hon Jim Marurai made the announcement at a media briefing on Thursday morning.
The post was previously held by Greg Urwin, an Australian, who recently retired due to health reasons.
The PM said Cabinet endorsed Rasmussen’s nomination at its meeting on Wednesday. He said he would now write to the Chairman of the Forum, the Prime Minister of Tonga, to advise him of our government’s nominee.
The PM disclosed that both Samoa and Tuvalu are also nominating candidates for the position and that the Prime Ministers of both countries had asked him to support their nominee. The Tuvalu nominee is the current Co-Chairman.
The new Secretary General would be announced at the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting in Nuie.
If successful, Rasmussen would be the first Cook Islander to be appointed. He would be required to resign from Parliament as MP for Penrhyn resulting in a by-election. The PM said Rasmussen’s constituency was not happy but had accepted the position.
Asked about Rasmussen’s replacement as Minister, the PM said there were three possibilities but he declined to name them.
Asked what other topics the Leaders would be considering, the PM said the agenda items would not be advised until the first week of August.
