Three Tongan Cabinet Ministers were dismissed from their ministerial posts yesterday.

The Prime Minister HRH Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata announced in a Press Release late last night that it had become "necessary that the tenure of office of three of Tonga's ministers ended".

They were named as: Hon. William Clive Edwards, the Minister of Police, Prisons and Fire Services; the Hon. Dr Masasso Paunga, Minister of Labour Commerce and Industries; and Hon. 'Aisea Taumoepeau, Attorney General and the Minister of Justice.

They represent a quarter of the 12 man Tongan Cabinet.

Their portfolios will be taken up by the Prime Minister himself, and his deputy Hon. James Cecil Cocker, while a major Cabinet reshuffling takes place over the next few weeks when it is expected that the King will appoint new ministers.

As of yesterday, the Ministries of Police, and Labour, Commerce and Industries, became government departments, coming under a new Ministry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This amalgamates the new Department of Police, Prisons and Fire Services, the new Department of Labour, Commerce and Industries, the Central Planning Department; the new Department of Tourism, and the Women in Development Centre.

HM King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV has appointed Hon. James Cecil Cocker as the Deputy Prime Minister and the new Minister of Internal Affairs.

The King has also appointed his youngest son, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata as the new Minister of Works and the Minister of Marines and Ports. He also retains his posts as the Prime Minister, the Minister of Civil Aviation, the Minister of Communications, the Minister of Defence and the Minister responsible for the Audit Department.

The King has yet to appoint a new Attorney General and a Minister of Justice.

No reasons were given for the dismissals but the Prime Minister called the portfolio changes, "the Government's proposed reorganisation to incorporate economic development".

However, the sudden ministerial dismissals come just before the start of a major class action against the government in the Tongan Supreme Court. Starting on Monday August 30 a Judicial Review will hear a claim by 173 plaintiffs that the amendment of Clause 7 of the Tongan Constitution curtailing Fredom of Speech last year and the introduction of suppressive media legislation was unconstitutional.

The architects of the amendment to the Constitution and the media legislation were the senior Cabinet minister and sometimes Acting Deputy Prime Minister Clive Edwards, along with the former Minister of Justice 'Aisea Taumoepeau, and his wife the Solicitor General, 'Alisi Taumoepeau who is rumoured to have also handed in her resignation and left the country following her husband to New Zealand on Thursday.