Results for Parliament

Highlights from Tonga's newspapers, April 3-10, 2008. An English translation summary by Tevita Fonua.

‘Akanete Lauti, the former Director of the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement, who resigned in order to run in the April General Election, is disappointed with the decision that an assessment will be done to determine her comeback.

Seventy one candidates were registered yesterday to compete for the nine People's Representative seats in Tonga's April 24 Parliamentary General Election.

Tonga's 2008 Parliamentary Election to be held on April 23 for the Nobles Representatives and April 24 for the People's Representatives is on schedule, according to the government electoral officer, Pita Vuki.

Highlighting mediation as a process of settling disputes out of court has been the biggest achievement of Tonga's first Law Week, according to Tonga's Chief Justice Anthony Ford.

The House resumed after several weeks of recess, first to enable government to prepare and to host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in mid-October, and then to enable members to attend the 125th anniversary celebration of Tonga College at the end of October. The day's working agenda was a "carrot on a stick" approach. From the House, an English translation summary from the Tongan vernacular, by Pesi Fonua.

HM King George Tupou V will officially close the 2007 session of the Tongan Legislature on Thursday, November 1 at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall, Nuku'alofa.

The Tongan Judiciary has introduced a new court procedure, to enable disputing parties to negotiate out-of-court settlements through mediation.

As one of the few loyal friends of America in the world, the Kingdom of Tonga has been rewarded with nothing but empty thanks from the U.S. Government. As most recently as a couple of years ago the U.S. Consul from the Suva Embassy, in Fiji, had the guts to lecture the Tongan Government as a "human-rights violator."