By Matangi Tonga reporters
No reason was offered by the Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku today over why he had resigned his defence portfolio. He said his conversation with King Tupou VI on the matter was “private”.
Talking to media at the St George Government Building this afternoon, he declined twice to offer a reason for the two resignations that he announced to parliament this morning.
“Resign,” he said, “Just resign.”
However, at the media conference, following the announcement to parliament that Cabinet Minister Fekita 'Utoikamanu had also resigned her Foreign Affairs and Tourism portfolios, he revealed that his former Minister of Foreign Affairs is being sued by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (the Lord Privy Seal).
Prayer session with King
The resignations had been anticipated by the public after the Prime Minister went to Niuafo'ou on March 7 to see King Tupou VI, after the king in Privy Council in February withdrew “His confidence and consent” to the appointments of the two ministers.
When the Prime Minister was asked why his delegation was wearing black (as if in mourning) when they went to Niuafo'ou for the audience with the king, he did not give a reason. He said they were happy to go there.
“It was important for us to go there to talk to His Majesty. We had a prayer session with His Majesty first, then an audience,” he said. “I believe the important thing is that we went to His Majesty and that he spoke to us.”
So why did the King withdraw his confidence in the Ministers?
“When two people have a private conversation we should respect that it's just between them,” replied the Prime Minister.
Why did it take so long for the issue to be resolved?
“Everything takes time,” he replied.
Meanwhile, the appointment of two new ministers for Defence and Foreign Affairs “will await a future decision,” the PM told the legislature this morning.
He told the media: “We just received the decision yesterday, and then now parliament, so we will actually make that decision soon, but we haven't had the chance to actually really look at it. When there is no Acting [minister], of course, the responsibility is on the Prime Minister. Right now there is no foreign minister but someone can be acting on that portfolio.”
Foreign Affairs being sued
A thorny issue that remains unresolved is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has two competing chief administrators - one appointed by the King and another appointed by the government.
The administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in a state of confusion since the Secretary to Cabinet and Chief Secretary Paula Mau was appointed as “Acting CEO for Foreign Affairs” by government in October last year, and attended the 52nd Pacific Leaders Meeting in the Cook Islands in that role.
At the same time, the Lord Privy Seal, Viliami Malolo, has been Secretary for Foreign Affairs since 2019, as appointed by the King.
When asked by Matangi Tonga, how is that situation working?, the Prime Minister said he could not comment because the matter was under litigation. The Foreign Affairs Secretary has sued the Public Service Commission and also the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Fekita 'Utoikamanu) and the Acting CEO of Foreign Affairs (Paula Mau).
“The matter is still in court so I'll leave it at that,” said the Prime Minister today.
See also:
https://matangitonga.to/2024/04/04/pm-announces-resignation-two-cabinet-...
https://matangitonga.to/2024/02/07/tonga-s-foreign-policy-requires-king-...
