Editor’s Comment by Pesi Fonua.

“How is the new government?” It's a question that most Tongans and people interested in the region are asking these days.

If you happened to be one of those people who are supposed to be giving the answers, and depending on where you are - possibly in a queue at the airport or the bank, or at a formal gathering; the answer could be either very brief or it could be long discussion.

A brief answer would be: "It is less than three months since they have been in power, but time will tell what they might do for Tonga."

A longer answer is: "that the 100-days honeymoon period will expire in mid-April, but so far the only serious comments that the Prime Minister, Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva hasrepeatedly made overseas and in Tonga are that the core values of his government are “good governance, fair distribution and the rule of law”.

With regards to the other pressing issues such as unemployment, development and how to get the Tongan economy to be in line with the globalization process that is currently on the roll, nothing at this stage has been said, apart from a shake of the shoulders and a gesture that all will be revealed when the country’s 2015-16 annual national budget will be presented to parliament before the end of the financial year at the end of June.

So far some of what may appear to be "radical changes" were simply activating Cabinet decisions made by the previous government. An example is Cabinet Decision No. 386 of June 2014, and Cabinet Decision No. 550 of July 2014 for the renaming of the mis-spelled “Ministry of Meteoroly, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications” (MEIDECC) as the Ministry of Environment and Communications (MEC).

So far, it is almost like living under a care-taker government.

Following the General Election of 27 November 2014, the new PM, Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva was elected by the new parliamentarians on 29 December. A new Speaker of the House, the former PM, Lord Tu'ivakano was elected as Speaker. A new Cabinet was officially formed on 31 December.

A soft opening of the 2014-2015 parliamentary session began on 15 January and the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and members of parliament were sworn in on 19 January.

Before this very brief session closed on 22 January the parliament elected Viliami Sika as the Chairman of the Whole House Committee, although he was not in parliament. The House also approved the formation of eight Standing Committees, but the chairmen of these committees were to be elected by committee members.

The next meeting of the Tongan parliament, a Special Sitting has been scheduled for 16-19 March.

According to Gloria Pole'o, the Clerk of the House, the Special Sitting is to discuss reports from the eight Standing Committees that were formed in January. Also tabled into the House is an external independent audit report of the Audit Department, and reports of official trips by Members of Parliament.

Following the 16-26 March Special Sitting of the Tongan Parliament, a date will be set for the formal closing of the 2014-15 Parliamentary session, before the State Opening of the Tongan Parliament on 28 May.

Parliament then will have the whole of June to pass the 2015-16 National Budget before the beginning of the new financial year on 1 July.

Meanwhile, government on Monday evening 9 March ratified the CEDAW Convention, a major move by the new government, even though it held reservations over the clauses of the Tongan laws and the constitution that it conflicts with.