By Pesi Fonua

The Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva and six Cabinet Ministers are dodging impeachment by the Tongan Parliament during its 2018-2019 session, by stalling the process.

The Tongan Parliament was in a disarray yesterday afternoon, October 29, when a 12-pages report of the Auditor General, scheduled to be read in the House, was obstructed by the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva.

The Prime Minister insisted that a response by himself and six other Cabinet Ministers to a petition with 3330 signatories for their impeachment should be read first.

The Auditor’s report was an important document that was requested under the petition, claiming that the Prime Ministers and his ministers had executed bad governance, abused and misused government properties and taxpayers' money related to the budgets of 2015/16, 2016/17, and 2017/18.

For the House to proceed with the impeachment case, the Auditor General’s report was needed. Unfortunately, the PM insisted for the House and the public to hear their response to the petition before they could hear the report of the Auditor General.

The petition had been under the scrutiny of the House’s Standing Committee on Privileges before it was tabled back into the House. So the insistence by the PM for him to present a response from him and his six ministers was considered to be out of the procedure. 

The Standing Committee on Privileges is chaired by Lord Tu’iha’angana. According to the chairman, there had been no response from the PM and his cabinet when they questioned issues relating to the Petition. The Committee’s report will come to the House with the Auditor General's report.

The stalling of the 12-pages report of the Auditor General, yet to be read in the House, was considered by some members as an indication of how hard it was for them to get information from Cabinet.

It is now seeming likely that the petition to impeach the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva and six Cabinet Ministers will be deferred until parliament resumes at the end of May 2019, because it became known yesterday afternoon that the Tongan Parliament will close its 2018 session tomorrow, Wednesday, October 31.

It’s also clear that the continual interuptions to procedure are causing rising frustrations in the House.

Petition

The petition to Parliament calling for an investigation of seven Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister, for allegedly breaching the Constitution of Tonga, was submitted to the Speaker on May 30 by Mele ‘Amanaki Samate, a member of a petition committee, endorsed by ‘Eua People’s Representative Tevita Lavemaau. A copy of the petition was also delivered to the King. 

1. Minister of Foreign Affairs (former Minister of Education and Internal Affairs) PM Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva;
2. Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism Semisi Sika,
3. Minister of Finance Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa,
4. Minister for Education and Training Penisimani Fifita,
5. Minister for Police, Revenue and Customs Mateni Tapueluelu,
6. Minister for Justice Vuna Fa’otusia,
7. Minister for Labour and Commerce Tu'i Uata.

The petition alleged that these seven Ministers had breached the Constitution of Tonga, as well as other legislation and Parliament regulations and claims that they are therefore not trustworthy to govern.

See also: Speaker receives petition to investigate PM and Cabinet [2]