Editorials
Friday, June 12, 1998

Fasi could be playing
spoiler role in election

FRANK Fasi is running for governor again, and the question is why. He had been an unsuccessful candidate four times already. Four years ago he resigned as mayor to run, and since then has been out of office. At 77, with no city-county bureaucracy to back him, no money-raising clout as an incumbent, and a host of enemies acquired over four stormy decades in Hawaii politics, his prospects are bleak.

But there could be another consideration. Fasi will run in the Republican primary against Linda Lingle, a fresh face in state politics who is doing well in early opinion polls. Democrats might cross over in the primary and vote for Fasi in the hope of putting a weaker candidate on the general election ballot against Ben Cayetano. That sort of thing has happened before.

Cayetano seemed to hint at that strategy when he claimed that Fasi had been a much better mayor in Honolulu than Lingle has been on Maui. And Fasi has aimed most of his attacks against Lingle, not Cayetano.

Four years ago, in defeat as the candidate of his ludicrous Best Party, Fasi acted as though he and the victorious Cayetano were buddies. He seemed more pleased about Republican Pat Saiki's loss than saddened by his own. He probably contributed to Cayetano's election by splitting the opposition vote.

Fasi could be playing the spoiler again, this time in the Republican primary. It could work, if enough Democrats cross over. But if Lingle's supporters realize what is going on, it could energize them to get out the vote on her behalf.

Protest on Kauai

KAUAI residents, struggling to rebuild their economy since Hurricane Iniki, must have been appalled by the sight of protesters at the Lihue airport telling arriving tourists they should refuse to spend their money on the island and go home. It was the first direct United Airlines flight from the mainland since the 1992 hurricane -- certainly a cause for celebration for the tourism industry -- and an elaborate welcome reception was arranged, featuring flower leis, music and hula dancers.

The protesters succeeded in spoiling the festivities with picket signs, boos and shouts. Their complaint has to do with regulating commercial boats on the north shore. The county planning commission has voted to repeal county rules and let the state issue boat permits. The demonstrators oppose this decision. That is their right, of course, but this was no way to express their views.

Mayor Maryanne Kusaka said she was baffled by the protest because most commercial boating operations in Hanalei closed down in January, adding, "It's a shame they've set out to ruin our economy."

There ought to be some sort of award for people like these who don't hesitate to put their narrow concerns over the state's need for economic recovery. In the same category are those who oppose a movie production at a state park on the Big Island, those who are trying to cripple operations at the new convention center because they might hear noise from rooftop receptions, and those who are fighting restoration of the crumbling Waikiki Natatorium because it might interfere with their use of the adjoining Sans Souci beach.

Crisis in Kosovo

HAVING waited too long to intervene decisively in the conflict in Bosnia, at the cost of thousands of lives, the West may be about to make the opposite mistake in another Yugoslav dispute. Kosovo is the southern province of Serbia. Paramilitary forces have massacred hundreds of ethnic Albanians there in an effort to crush an independence movement.

The conflict, although currently restricted to what is left of Yugoslavia, has a potential to spill over into other countries -- Albania, Macedonia, even Greece and Turkey. The United Nations Security Council has imposed an arms embargo against Yugoslavia, but that is a largely symbolic gesture. NATO defense ministers have instructed military planners to prepare options for intervention in Kosovo, including air strikes and ground forces. NATO has decided to expand military exercises with Albania and Macedonia.

There are 2.2 million people in Kosovo, of whom 90 percent are ethnic Albanians. A republic has been declared but is recognized by no government. A rebel force has been formed that is said to control 40 percent of the province.

However, Kosovo is considered the cradle of Serbian culture and Serbia is adamantly opposed to its separation.

Intervention by NATO forces could mean a confrontation with the Yugoslav army, a professional and more formidable force than the rag-tag Bosnian Serbs.

NATO intervention would be viewed as support for Kosovo's aspirations of independence, which would be unfortunate. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, is a legally recognized country with internationally accepted borders. Kosovo is a province of Serbia.

The best possible outcome seems to be a measure of autonomy for Kosovo short of independence. The United States should press Serbian leader Slobodan Milosovic and Kosovan leader Ibrahim Rugova to negotiate a settlement. Military intervention should be avoided except to prevent Yugoslavian forces from crossing the borders of Albania or Macedonia and widening the conflict.

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