PDP's Teisina Fuko, critical of Nobles' failure to stop march, May 29-June 3 [1]
Monday, June 6, 2005 - 11:28. Updated on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 17:58.
Translation from the local newspapers, summary by Pesi Fonua
President of the PDP, Teisina Fuko, blamed Nobles and church leaders for the success of the May 26 march led by a rival democratic group; meanwhile, the Piveni Pikula Shoreline revelations continue, in Tonga's local press this week May 29- June 3.
The Kalonikali highlighted the two offers made by the government and Shoreline in their last ditch attempt to stop the protest march of May 26 over the high cost of electricity and other issues.
On the morning of May 25 Shoreline offered to return the power generation operation to government if government repaid the multi-million investment that Shoreline had put into the power operation during the past seven years.
On the evening of the same day government came up with a two-prong offer either for Shoreline to absorb the 11 seniti surchange that it was charging consumers, or government would pay for it with taxpayers' money. But while government and Shoreline were playing ping pong the march went ahead as scheduled on the following day, May 26.
After failing to stop the march the people who were against it continued with their criticism. The most vociferous was the President of the People's Democratic Party, Teisina Fuko, and a member of the now defunct Kotoa Movement.
Teisina the president of the People's Democratic Party told Vakaola Tongamohenoa of the Kalonikali that the success of the march was a proof of the failure of the Nobles of the realm to protect the King, and a failure of church leaders to influence their congregations and stop the march.
He said that the opposition of the PDP to the May 26 march, was because they knew that the Demo People's Representatives had a hidden agenda, but they tried to make out that Shoreline was the issue. Teisina welcomed the 11 seniti offer from government.
In the same report, Sione 'Alataini did not think that the King would respond twice to two similar petitions about Shoreline Power. He said that the king had already responded to the petition from the PDP and was too old to repeat the same answer to the protesters.
Sione sincerely believed that the objective of protest march and the petition on May 26 was for the king to surrender his power. He believed that we should accept the 11 seniti offer by government paid for by the taxpayers.
In the Kelea the Piveni Piukala and Shoreline Power revelations continued to provide interesting reading. This time Piveni was not interviewed but was writing a first person commentary.
The Kelea's Special Report from Piveni Piukala, stated that
Tonga's future King could not tell the difference between his personal business interests and his role in running the government for his people.
Piveni expressed an opinion that he had done his part in revealing the wrong doings that had been and were still going on in Shoreline, but it appeared that the Crown Prince did not think there was anything wrong with it, neither the Prime Minister, nor the government. He felt that the suffering of the people did not matter to them.
For that reason Piveni was willing to release some more secret information for the people to consider in the light that the Crown Prince and the government did not think there was anything wrong with the goings on in Shoreline. He said that if the king could not put an end to the siphoning off of money through Shoreline two things would happen.
Firstly, the people would continue to suffer paying high taxes, expensive electricity, and living under a depressed economy, where only a few earned high salaries while the majority struggled to make ends meet. He said that the situation had got so bad already that the King said Tonga needed $1 billion to put the economy back on track.
The second option, if the people could no longer tolerate living under such a depressed situation, it could mean the end of the Monarchy. He was certain that the monarchy was on the way out, the people no longer had that loyalty in their hearts about the Royal family. He likened the Tongan government to the Titanic, it had already struck the iceberg, and though still floating but it was a matter of time before it sunk. The big gap in the hull could not be fixed, the only solution was for a new boat to come in and rescue the people.
The new revelation by Piveni was the fortnightly and the annual salaries of the Crown Prince Tupouto'a; the Director, Sefo Ramanlal; and CEO, Soane Ramanlal; the COO, David Dunkley; the Power Manager, Craeme Carr; Tonfon Manager, Len; and the Distribution Manager, Ian skeleton.
Name(Fortnightly)Annually
Chairman (HRH)($29,423.08)$765,000
Director (Sefo Ramanlal)($28,268.22)$735,000
CEO (Soane Ramanlal)($25,193.88)$655,000
COO (David Dunkley)($6262.89)$162,835
Power Manager (Craeme Carr)($5242.42)$136,302
Tonfon Manager (Len)($4400.21)$114,405
Distribution Manager (Ian Skelton)($3991.55)$103,780
Piveni said that these high salaries could not be justified in the public utility of electricity generation. He said that no one questioned the spending of business people like T. Misa Fifita or Ross Chapman but the people had every right to question the high salaries of the Crown Prince and the two Indians because they were operating a public utility service for the people.
Piveni went on to say that things were being set up for Tonga to be operated like the Mafia. He said that the setting of the Embassy in Beijing, with 'Emeline Tuita as the ambassador showed that the embassy is an extension of the Shoreline operation and all the aid funds that will come from China will have to go through Shoreline.
Piveni went on to reveal queries by a former accountant about unaccounted for corporate credit card spending on accommodation, meals, entertainment and others.
Piveni concluded his latest revelation by emphasising that Shoreline did not renew his contract as it was said by Soane Ramanlal in a Press Conference on May 25, he turned down their offer of a salary rise in order to keep him. He told the Kelea he had a principle to live by, to help the people.