Editor,
I find it amazing, how the Tongan public in general are not fully informed of the actuality of what the temo's are asking for. Any form of government suggested for Tonga that has a cabinet picked from within the legislative assembly concentrates tremendous power in the hands of a few and paths the way for a dictatorship in Tonga. The current checks and balances that do currently exist between government bodies will deteriorate until they no longer exist. This means we are moving in the opposite direction of where we actually want to arrive at. Numerous articles on Matangitonga Online and letters to the editor have clearly pointed these obvious things out. For your reading pleasure and for the sake of being more informed please readers check them out.
It is also equally amazing to see how wishy-washy the temo's have been concerning what changes are needed to our current system and the resulting political chaos that Tonga is currently in, and yet the public seem to remain unaware. Even clergy who get too involved in politics is seen by many as being wishy-washy in and of itself.
There are two ways of looking at Bishop Finau, Rev. Simote Vea and other members of the clergy being involved in the political Temo movement. One is that they are symbols of peace and are there to suppress extremists, the other possible point of view, is that it rubber stamped in the minds of many that aggression and disobedience to the evil government was righteousness in the eyes of God. Perhaps the resulting riots of 16/11 can be the determining factor of which point of view is correct, or at least we can come to the conclusion that this was the case within the minds of an overwhelming number of their supporters. Logically, if a message of peace was proclaimed than peace would be the result, likewise if peace was not proclaimed but something else was, then that something else would be the result, and not peace.
Again, the public is amazingly misinformed about what really happened on 23 July 2008 during the coronation celebrations last year. Let me explain, the King of Tonga has not surrendered any of his executive powers at all. This again has clearly been pointed out in many articles on Matangitonga Online and letters to the editor. Again readers please check them out.
What the King signed into law was the Constitutional and Electoral Commission Act. This just means that a commission (which has now been formed and has currently been progressing its mandate) will work towards collecting ideas and feedback for political reform, and then submit these ideas and concepts to the Legislative Assembly for further debate and acceptance or digression.
In no way or form does this mean that the King has surrendered the executive powers that he legally and legitimately still holds. At this time I believe it relevant to suggest, that if we find out where this idea that the "King had given up his powers" originated from; we may begin to understand who is trying to manipulate and misinform the public for their own political means. And for some end remarks, I would like to say it has been one mean and never-ending propaganda machine.
Please members of the public, read, discuss, debate, as much as you can so as to be informed of Tonga's current political reality and other related issues. Also beware of any possibility of a propaganda machine and its agendas.
Malo 'aupito e kei ma'u faingamalie,
D.K. Fale
mauitekelangi [at] gmail [dot] com
