By Wednesday next week, the 26 newly elected members of the Tongan Parliament should be ready to proceed and elect a Prime Minister, said 'Etuate Lavulavu, the spokesperson for seven independent People's Representatives.

'Etuate said that the independent People's Representatives have held separate meetings with the members of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI) and the Nobles' Representatives.

He said that they were slowly getting into some kind of understanding. They will meet the DPFI again on Saturday, and the Nobles on Monday, and he anticipated that by Wednesday next week it should be clear which group they would align with.

Meanwhile, the independent PRs have not formally announced a nominee for a Prime Minister. 

'Etuate said that in their meeting with the DPFI they discussed the following:

• that the DPFI wants 'Akilisi Pohiva to be the next PM.
• that If the independent People's Representatives want to work with DPFI, the DPFI requires them to sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

'Etuate however said that even if they supported the DPFI's nominee the independents would not sign the DPFI MOU.

Discussions in the meeting of the independent PRs and the Nobles' Representatives were:

• that the Nobles announced Lord Vaea as their nominee to be the next Prime Minister.
• that the independents want the next Prime Minister to be a People's Representative.
• the nobles wanted to know the independent's nominee for a Prime Minister.

The nobles are not demanding that the People's Representatives sign anything before they can work together.