Tonga’s newly elected government remains an unofficially confirmed list of names, despite the fact that the 2018 session was officially opened on 11 January with an "in-house session". The swearing of new Members of Parliament and selected Cabinet Ministers is now scheduled to take place on Thursday, 18 January.

The Cabinet Ministers have not been officially announced by the Prime Minister’s Office or the Parliament. Meanwhile, unofficial Cabinet Ministers are already active in their roles, excepting the Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva (also supposed to be the Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs) who is remains in the Intensive Care Unit at Vaiola Hospital.

The Chief Clerk of the House, Gloria Pole’o announced today that the House will reconvene on Thursday, 18 January, for its first sitting.

On the agenda for Thursday, the Prime Minister shall introduce any new members or new Ministers to the Speaker and the Speaker shall instruct the new members to take their oath, according to the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga.

The Chief Clerk said that following the taking of oath, the House will move on to the next item on the agenda which is to approve the response from the House to the message from King Tupou VI at the opening of the 2018 Parliamentary Session on 11 January.

Once the House has approved its response to the message from the Throne, the Speaker will select a Nobles’ Representative and a People’s Representative to deliver the House’s Address-in-Reply to  the Office of the Lord Chamberlain.