Dear Editor,
The success of the Strike will go down in History for all of Tonga to be proud of. A combined effort from all Ministries and non-civil servants was impressive. To stay focused and to halt a nation and bring the Government to their knees was decisive and clinical.
Divided Democracy
The problem now is, the people who want change in the Government are divided. They all agree that they want systematic change in the type of Government; Tonga is under but find it hard to work in unison towards change. We have seen the pro-democracy factions dividing fast like stem cells in an embryo. The different parties want democracy, but in their own interpretation of democracy. This own interpretation and ideology of democracy splits these factions into more division, and it grows exponentially until the focus is lost. How many big named political campaigners we have seen lately? Like Cinderella man Tu'Ipelehake, Clive Edwards's Devil...s advocate, Good Futa Helu...s Hunting, Teisino Fuka...s one-mile march, Laki Niu...s Lone Ranger, Obi Wan Pohiva and many more to come.
Minority Vs Majority
The present Government is basically a minority party that has absolute power over Tonga...s ailing economy and infrastructure that the majority of the people have no say in. Government is a minority meaning their views are not basically what the majority of the people want. The Government...s views, since it is centralized, tend to profit more than the average taxpayer. Services that the Government should subsidize and help out in are disregarded and selfish greed is uppermost. A good example of this is the failure of the one domestic airline; did it have to come to this, when a court-battled airline could ohave given service to the people of Niuas before? How long did the Niua people have to wait to connect to the world? In a medical emergency there is now, a no faster way to seek medical attention. The people of Niua will have to wait and it may be a long wait for some time.
Popularity and Respect
The consensus of the overall public popularity towards the King and his household today is in it...s most lowliest it has been in the last four generations. The future King of Tonga will need to earn respect and trust of the people. Once the present King...s reign will end, Tonga...s future is dark and gloomy. Hope this time round we will see improvement towards Royalty and the common average Tongan.
Regards,
William Mariner.
