By Matangi Tonga political reporters

Although Tonga's Cabinet was reported to be in a meeting, without the Prime Minister, throughout the morning no one at the Prime Minister's Office is able to say right now who those members of the Cabinet are.

The Press Office of the PMO said at lunchtime today that they still know nothing about the new government.

"Only 'Ofa knows," said a spokesperson this morning, referring to the CEO of the Prime Minister's Office, 'Ofa Finau, who has been in the Cabinet meeting "since early this morning."

The meeting is expected to continue until at least 2:00pm today.

Unfortunately, until an official statement is made, the names of the Cabinet will remain secret from a widely speculating public.

Even the Press Office does not know who is Tonga's Chief Minister or Acting Chief Minister in the absence of the Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva.

PM Pohiva remains in the intensive care unit of Vaiola Hospital after he acquired a bacterial infection last week. The PM was reported to be "incoherent" when admitted to the Medical Ward last Friday. His condition remained unstable and he was transferred to ICU, where his condition was reported to be stable on Monday evening.

Staff at the Prime Minister's Press Office say they do not know who is the Minister of Health or when the new government might be sworn in. They don't know who is the Deputy Prime Minister. They don't know if the members of the former caretaker government are meeting as the Cabinet today or if it is the new ministers that were on the Prime Minister's list submitted to King Tupou VI for approval.

There have been no official statements forthcoming from the Prime Minister's Office or Palace Office about the new government.

In the absence of statements from the Prime Minister's Office, unofficial comments have become the order of the day.

Foreign Affairs and Defence

Reliable unofficial sources say that King Tupou VI returned His letter of Acquiescence to the Prime Minister's Office on Friday January 5, during office hours. It is understood that the King had approved all of PM Pohiva's ministerial proposals, except for the Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministries.

It is understood that the King had called for an audience with the Prime Minister on Monday to clarify those two ministries

"The King has not acquiesced to Foreign Affairs and Defence," said the source. "The King wanted to be explicit and explain to the government that those two positions are only representatives to Parliament."

The serious issue for the monarch is that Defence Forces are His Majesty's Armed Forces. Only the King can declare war. The King also makes official decisions for Foreign Affairs and makes diplomatic postings. Both ministries are under the Monarch's control.

Just how the Prime Minister was challenging that Constitutional right of the King has not been properly clarified.

The sudden illness of the Prime Minister has seriously complicated the communications between his government and the Palace. The scheduled audience with the King on Monday was cancelled while the PM remains incapcitated.

According to an unofficial source, Matangi Tonga learned that when the Prime Minister was admitted to Hospital he could not remember whether or not he had received the King's document. Then a nominated Minister reportedly found the document at the Prime Minister's home on Sunday night.

Today the Prime Minister's Office was unable to comment on this information that is circulating.

Parliament Opening

A date for the first meeting of Parliament has to be decided by the Prime Minister and the Speaker, according to the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. Then after the date has been agreed, the Speaker shall inform  His Majesty of the opening date. It is then up to the King to attend or alternatively to appoint three Nobles to perform His duty