Government accused of disrespecting the Commission [1]
Friday, July 17, 2009 - 22:15. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
IT is important that the Leaders of Tonga know what they are doing because the happiness and prosperity of the country will depend on their good judgement.
Tupou I decided wisely when he granted his people land, freedom, a Constitutional Government and the concept of the rule of law way back in 1775, when most of the people in the world did not have the right to vote.
Today our Government and Parliament do not seemed to know what they are doing, and is an embarrassment to the people and the King of Tonga.
Recently, the Government introduced a Bill to amend the Constitution to the House, calling for the right of newly appointed Minister's to continue to hold their seat in Parliament if elected by the people, which is normal in the countries of the commonwealth. This move was anticipated to legalize the Constitutional Convention and authority of the King to appoint Ministers from the Representatives of the nobles and the people in 2005. A matter which the Leader of the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party challenge the Government over. This move by the Government is premature and disrespectful because the Independent Commission on the Constitution and Election is yet to submit its final report under the Enabling Act that the Government introduced to the Legislature and passed in 2008 to set up the Commission.
The Independent Commission was set up to consider all submissions to amend the Constitution, including submissions by the Government. The Government action can only mean three things:
1.It does not trust the work of the Commission on the Constitution
2.It does not know what it is doing - incompetent
3.The Commission is too independent for the liking of Government.
The Langafonua Tu'uloa Party calls on the Government to make their submission to the Commission. At the end, the Government will have their say once the work of the Commission is completed and tabled before the Government and the Lagislature.
For Parliament to consider the Bill while the Commission is still out is not a good sign and is disrespectful of the rule of law or the law of the land or the Enabling Act that set up the Commission on the Constitution.
While the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party (LTP) endorses Tupou IV legal concept and Constitutional Convention of making representatives of nobles and people, Ministers without resigning their seat as the way forward for political reform, it was obvious to the LTP that the Government did not appreciate the significance of this concept when it forces the representatives of the nobles and people to give up their seat so that they can avoid standing for election in the 2008 Parliamentary election.
This concept for political reform by the former Prime Minister seems to present Government and Parliament with certain difficulties and shows up their inexperience and incompetence in the matter of Government and Constitutional Reform.
LTP is also conscious of the fact that the people's representatives were split in principle on the legal concept of the Bill - with Pohiva and Pulu opposing the very idea of elected Government as presented in this Government Bill. It is the wish of the LTP that the people's representatives had united to support the Bill in principle, but sought to have it deferred until the Commission on the Constitution report in November 2009 or have it send to the Commission as a submission of Parliament for the Commission to consider. This will avoid the controversy on this matter and the embarrassment caused by this bad judgement in the part of the Cabinet.
It is the wish of the LTP that the new Government and Parliament will not make this kind of embarrassing mistake and bad judgement. Langafonua Tu'uloa Party, 17/07/09