Editor,

The Prime Minister needs to go! The king needs to act and act now! One cannot imagine the ignorance of a government that is bankrupt bidding to host games that will cost the government $80,000,000 and produce zero benefit to the people of Tonga. Tonga looks like a fool on the international stage for even asking, let alone winning the bid. How can other countries take us seriously? We are deeply, deeply in debt. The medical care available to all Tongans is poor at best. Our education standards and results are embarrassing. Has government created any jobs or industry to protect our future? We rely on hand-outs from relatives overseas and foreign governments.  Corruption is rampant in our system. The rich get richer; the poor get poorer.

With all of this and much more our leaders tell us the spending $80,000,000 on some games that will last three weeks and bring no money into the economy is a great idea. They say that it is such a good idea that it is willing to add the load and cost of it onto the backs of our people. When the games are over we will be left with the cost of maintaining expensive facilities we cannot afford to maintain. We have already seen the dishonesty, corruption and nepotism in this Prime Minister’s government. What do you think will happen when they get their hands on $80,000,000 to dole out to family and cronies? It is déjà vu of the $100,000,000 that China lent us to rebuild Nuku’alofa. The money was never accounted for and spent mostly on the rich and wealthy leaders who controlled the money.

‘Akilisi Pohiva’s government is already an embarrassment to us all. Do we really need to spend $80,000,000 to be embarrassed further? Will anyone be held accountable for the inevitable corruption and cronyism that will occur? It is time that our government reflected the will of the people! After all Mr. Prime Minister; that is the definition of democracy! You remember that word don’t you? Sadly, your definition of democracy has become whatever you think. You have forgotten the rule of law (i.e. Lavulavu) and you have forgotten the very people that trusted you and placed you in power all of these years.

Peni Katoa