Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua

The outcome of Tonga's November 16 General Election could be a game changer for the slow-moving democratic parliamentary reform that was begun in 2010.

The dissolution of the Tonga Legislative Assembly on 24 August this year, by HM King Tupou VI, the first dissolution of a government by a king under Tonga’s 142 years old Constitutional Monarchy system of Government, has shaken the country.

Parliament closed down with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet becoming a caretaker government, until a new government may be formed following the general election.

The prime objective for calling the snap election, a year early, clearly indicates a lack of confidence held in the current government led by Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva. The King, using a Constitutional prerogative, has created an opportunity for Tonga to have new members of parliament, who may choose a new Prime Minister to bring in new Cabinet Ministers.

Candidates have been quick to step forward throughout the country, with 86 candidates now contesting 17 People’s Representatives seats in the new election. In addition, the Nobles and the Law Lords will be selecting their nine representatives.

The candidates who are contesting for seats in parliament includ all the members of parliament that was dissolved by the King on 24 August.

November 16

If Tonga ends up with the same Prime Minister and same members of Cabinet, it will mean that the decision to dissolve the parliament did not result in any progress.

So what happens then? Are  we going to have another election?

It is clear that the unfinished reform of 2010 is not producing the members of parliament and leadership that Tonga needs.

Tonga needs to take a serious look at its reform programme, which obviously is not working out. Tonga's democratic reform has failed to produce a government that works.

There's a need for highly competent people in parliament to go back and review the reform to readjust it to make sure that we will not have the same problem again of electing people who don't do the job.

The reasons for the dissolution of parliament have not been fully detailed. The King was acting on advice from the Lord Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Lord Tu’ivakano.

The Speaker had informed the King of his concern over what he considered to be unconstitutional and illegal decisions that had been taken by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, including the signing of international convention such as the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women CEDAW and the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus PACERPlus.

He was also very concerned over a move by the PM and the Cabinet to take over the responsibility of His Majesty in Privy Council to appoint a Police Commissioner and the Attorney General.

He also expressed his disappointment that the PM had failed to keep his pledge to Parliament to discipline a Cabinet Minister himself, following a failed impeachment.

He also pointed out that although the PM and the Cabinet had terminated the contract that Tonga signed in 2012 to host the 2019 Pacific Games, that government is still collecting a levy on foreign currency transactions that was intended primarily to finance Tonga’s commitment to host the 2019 Pacific Games.

The Speaker had also expressed his disapproval of a Cabinet decision on 1 July to increase Income Tax, then on 4 July gave Cabinet Ministers a salary rise.

Government finance

The operations of the caretaker government is to run in alignment with the National Budget Parliament passed before the beginning of the 2017-18 Financial year on 1 July.

If there are emergency expenditures it has to be approved by the Minister of Finance.

However, in another twist in the “Dissolution of Parliament” drama, only 11 days after the dissolution of Parliament, the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva on 4 September fired his Deputy PM Siaosi Sovaleni and the Minister of Finance, Tevita Lavemaau.

The Deputy PM at the moment is Lord Ma’afu, who is also the Minister of Land and Natural Resources and the Minister of His Majesty’s Army.

The new Minister of Finance is Hon Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, who is also the Minister of Labour, Commerce and Trade.