Photos by Linny Folau

The Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva today expressed relief that King Tupou VI did not dissolve the Tonga Legislative Assembly and call for new elections again, as requested by Petitioners.

In a statement today the Prime Minister said he welcomed the decision by the King in Privy Council announced this week, regarding three Petitions.

“I totally support His Majesty in Council’s decision,” he stated,

• “to refer the Petitions to the Ombudsman to determine any instances of mal-administration and report back to His Majesty;
• to the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police, for investigation and prosecution of any breaches of the Criminal Law
• and for filing civil litigation considered appropriate to uphold the integrity of the Constitution and the Laws of the country”.

The Prime Minister said that the Petitions called on the King in February 2019 to dissolve the Legislative Assembly again; establish an independent commission to investigate allegations of mal-administration and abuse of authority by the Prime Minister and his Ministers and others associated with him; consider establishing an interim government that was independent to organize new Legislative Assembly elections and to support the work of the independent commission.”

Hon. Pohiva stated, “I welcome His Majesty in Council’s decision because it implies that the petitioner’s call for the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly and the establishment of a commission of inquiry and an interim government to organize new elections was not approved”.

The Prime Minister also said that he would also submit to Cabinet as soon as possible, to consider the King's directive for government to provide adequate funding for the Anti-Corruption commissioner from 1 July 2019, including the remuneration for the Commissioner.

He also said that when the Petitions were presented in February he had acknowledged the Petitioner's Constitutional right to petition the king.

“But I called on them to first submit their allegations to the offices of the Ombudsman, the Attorney General, and the Tonga Police to first investigate. I had also suggested that they should also submit their allegations of misuse of public finances and resources to the office of the Auditor General”.

The Prime Minister pointed out that it was significant that His Majesty in Privy Council had also directed that the Petition should also be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions because under the present Constitution, that office does not exist. He said, “The Bill to amend the Constitution so that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions can be established is one of those six Bills that I had submitted to the Legislative Assembly to be treated as “urgent”, and it is unfortunate that its passage has been held up due to differences in interpretation of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Assembly”.

See also: King opens urgent investigations into govt administration. [2] 25 March 2019.