The National Committee of the Kingdom of Tonga for Political Reforms proposed by Noble's Representative, HRH Prince Tu'ipelehake, triumphed in parliament on October 24 when it won 12 out of 18 votes in favour of its set up.

Prince Tu'ipelehake told the Tongan press on October 25 that this was a historical event as the tables of the Nobles, the People's Representatives and the government had agreed to setting up an independent national committee, to look at what can be improved or amended in regards to the political status of the Kingdom.

The objective of the committee is to accept all submissions on possible political reform by way of proposed legislative amendments, identify areas that require the introduction of new legislation to foresee those proposed reforms or any reforms from the people of Tonga.

The parliament also accepted the first four points of the committee...’s Work Agenda, which depicts committee members.

Members

Members include Prince Tu'’ipelehake, one member to be elected by the Prime Minister from the Cabinet Ministers table, Hon. Veikune to represent the nobles, two People's members ...‘Akilisi Pohiva and Clive Edwards.

Clive Edwards will become a temporary member and take part in the first part of the work then step down because he will be submitting his own proposal for constitutional change.

The committee will also elect four Tongan professionals independent of government to become members.

The first meeting of the Whole Committee will be held next month but committee members who are in Tonga met yesterday to elect the four independent members.

Prince Tu'’ipelehake said their first priority is to review their existing Work Agendas to see whether anything needs to be amended or added to it.

Submit ideas

After that is finalized, the committee will then draft up a written document and distribute it to the people of Tonga as well as to the media informing them of their objective, their work agenda as well as outlining the method on how people can submit in their ideas in regards to their proposed amendments to the constitution in a written document.

Two months from now, the committee will then begin traveling to the outer islands of the two Niuas, Ha'apai, Vava'’u, and 'Eua to gather those findings and conclude in Tongatapu.

Prince Tu'’ipelehake said from those findings the committee would then write a report based on those recommendations and submit it to Parliament for their deliberation and assessment in July of 2006.

" What is very important here is the fact that the committee is totally independent of Government", said Prince Tu'’ipelehake.

He also said what is different and unique about this exercise is that the recommendations submitted are all from the people of Tonga not just the views of a certain group of people.

"So in that sense I cannot think of any trustworthy government that will not act to do something and that is why I think this work is very important, " Prince Tu'ipelehake said.