by Pesi Fonua

The Tongan people are unanimous in their desire for a political reform to take place, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, the Chairman of the National Committee for Political Reform told the Tongan parliament today.

Dr Halapua was presenting the first part of a report on the findings of his committee after conducting a Talanoa, or consultations with the Tongan people in Tonga and overseas on their aspirations for political, economic and social reform.

The NCPR recommendations have yet to be presented to the House, but Dr Halapua in reading the findings said that while the people wanted the monarch and for the body of the king to remain sacred, and for the nobles and the matapules to hold on to their hereditary titles, "but at the same time they want the people to elect all members of parliament."

Dr Halapua said that there was a difference of opinion in the process of selecting a Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, some wanted the people to select the Prime Minister and the ministers but they needed to have more information on the educational background of candidates; while others wanted the king to appoint the Prime Minister and all the Cabinet Ministers, and others wanted the king to nominate candidates but to leave the people to do the selection.

In today's presentation Dr Siteveni Halapua presented only the first five chapters of the nine-chapter long NCPR Report.

In the introduction to the report there was an emphasis on Melino, or Peace, which was stated to be an essential requirement in order for any reform program to be successfully carried out, and described as a priceless commodity, "that becomes very expensive once it is lost."

Dr Halapua introduced the structure of a Tongan Fale, or house, in the third chapter, to illustrate the Tongan perception of its sovereignty with the Tongan Coat of Arms, "God and Tonga is my inheritance" as the roof, and the rest of the kingdom sheltered under it.

Questions

During today's presentation there were a number of questions raised from the floor. The Tongatapu No. 2 People's Representative, 'Isileli Pulu, queried if foreign intervention, such as the influx into Tonga by the Chinese could disrupt the peace that is so important for a successful reform program.

Dr Halapua said that issue of the Chinese was raised in almost every meeting they had, "even in small island communities where there are no Chinese shops." Dr Halapua believed that the people reacted in such a way because Tongan has never ever been colonised and the people felt threatened by the Chinese.

Tomorrow parliament will go on a one-day recess and then the rest of the report will be presented on Thursday, including the NPCR's recommendations for political, social and economic reforms in the kingdom.