Tonga's king is not likely to dismiss his ministers on the basis of a three pages petition, says the Speaker of the Tongan Legislature, Noble Veikune, who believes that Parliament is the place where any impeachment or restructuring of Tonga's political system has to take place.

Therefore he believes that Tonga's biggest protest march on September 6 was misguided and ended up in the wrong place, the Palace.

Veikune said that the king was the wrong person to be petitioned. "The march should have been to parliament. The king has the authority to appoint cabinet ministers, but to dismiss them from office it is the Tongan parliament that has the authority through the process of impeachment."

Veikune said that an impeachment proceeding would be presided over by the Chief Justice, very similar to a Supreme Court proceeding. He said that if at the end of an impeachment hearing the Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers were found guilty of crimes, they would then be dismissed from office.

He did not think that the king would dismiss his Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers because of a three-page letter of petition, without having to go through a hearing process.

Referendum

Veikune said that the second petition that was presented on Tuesday by the People's Representatives was also inappropriate to be presented to the king. He said that Tonga has no legislation on how to conduct a referendum. With regards to a Royal Commission he said there was an act, but members of a Royal Commission were to be appointed by the king, and their findings were for the king alone.

Menawhile for any political change to take place the members of parliament must be persistent with their bills for the amendment of the constitution, he said.

The Tongan Parliament may amend the Constitution provided that such amendments shall not affect the law of liberty and succession to the Throne and the titles and hereditary estates of the nobles. Veikune pointed out that to amend the Constitution it must be passed by the House and then it has to be unanimously approved by both the Cabinet and the Privy Council before it is lawful for the King to assent and sign it to become law.

Noble Veikune is fully convinced that only through parliament the Tongan political system can be restructured. He said that even if an amendment is rejected but the issue is then in the public domain for public debate, "and if it is resubmitted it could be passed."