PM offers the British "Polata‘ane" [1]
Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 20:42. Updated on Friday, April 20, 2018 - 09:42.
An offer made by the PM Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva to return to the British Government their former seafront residence in Nuku‘alofa - in anticipation that Britain will come back to the Pacific Islands when they exit the European Union within 12 months - has caused an uproar in Tonga's Office of the Lord Chamberlain, which is located on the property.
The Prime Minister is currently Tonga's Minister of Lands.
Known to locals as "Polata‘ane", the historic 12,077m2 property has been occupied by Tonga's Royal Family and the Lord Chamberlain's Office since the British High Commission closed its Tonga diplomatic mission in 2006.
While there has been no official reaction from the Office of the Lord Chamberlain over the offer that was made by the Prime Minister, it has been made known to Matangi Tonga that the British leases in the area had expired.
According to an official letter from the Ministry of Lands & Natural Resources, dated 26 September 2016, "the land has reverted and is now under the authority of His Majesty the King."
The letter was written to an undisclosed recipient in response to a query about the status of the leases at Polata'ane and a neighbouring property called "Niukasa".
The document states that "the British High Commission's Lease No. 1954 at Sia Ko Veiongo, over an area of 2A 3R 37.5P with legal title of Lot 1 on survey plan 80/92 –P26 expired on 31 October 2001."
London trip
But controversially, the Prime Minister is now asserting that he can reallocate the location to the British.
The Prime Minister's Office, in a media release dated 16 April, announced that: "Hon. Prime Minister offers former British High Commission Residence to UK Government in anticipation of British re-engagement in the Pacific."
The statement was sent from London by the Prime Minister’s Press Officer Lopeti Senituli. It stated that the offer was made by Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva during his intervention at a Ministerial Roundtable that was hosted by the Permanent Under Secretary and head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British Government, Sir Simon McDonald, for the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Pacific Island Countries that are members of the Commonwealth.
The Ministerial Roundtable was held at the Intercontinental London Park Lane Hotel on 16 April.
Hon Pohiva welcomed the British Government's re-engagement in the South Pacific reportedly saying, "I take this opportunity to offer the British Government the use of its former Residence in Nuku'alofa from which you departed 12 years ago."
According to the statement the PM also told the Roundtable that he had asked His Majesty's Armed Forces to repair cyclone damage to the fence at the Residence caused by Cyclone Gita.
The Prime Minister and delegation arrived in London on April 14 and were met by the last British High Commissioner to Tonga, Mr Paul Nessling, as Special Representative of the Foreign Secretary.
Cross-over
The unexpected announcement about Polata'ane has raised eyebrows in Tonga.
Does the Prime Minister have the authority to offer the British a property of King Tupou VI?
This latest cross-over of authority of the Prime Minister and that of the King comes amid a current uproar over an erroneous claim by the PM that the amendments to the Constitution and the law in 2010 were made outside of Parliament.
PM Pohiva later admitted that he was wrong, but he insisted that he disagreed with the Acts.
Background, see also:
4 March 2006 Sun sets on British presence in Tonga [2]
3 April 2006 British presence slips away into the night [3]