Editor,

Further to comments shared by Tongans through your website, please allow me to continue in sharing views in this tireless process of rethinking and redesigning a better Tonga.

I agreed with views shared by Venisi Uata where he believes that what happened on 16/11 was only the tip of the iceberg and he refers to the iceberg as the core problems in Tonga that our focus and efforts should be directed. I read that the tip of the iceberg is the gang of youths that did the actual torching of businesses on 16/11 and the iceberg is the people's representatives that were leading these gangs of young people and encouraged them to carry out those barbaric actions.

We need not to focus on the young people and rightly so, it is more important and more effective to keep focusing our direction on 'Akilisi, 'Uliti, Neti, 'Isi, Lepolo, Sunia and Helu. If it was not for seeds of hatred and anger that these people had planted in the minds, hearts and life of these people during the rallies and meetings at their villages and Pangai Si'i, the young people would not have had the courage to do what they did on 16/11. It has been reported and written that these young people were mainly youths with deportees among them. It is very much questioned whether these young people (including 12 year olds) were aware of the political reform and if they fully understood what was involved in the political reform process in order to justify the claim made by 'Akilisi that the people could not wait any longer for the political change?.

If 'Akilisi, 'Uliti, Lepolo, Neti, 'Isi, Vili and Sunia carried out the actual torching of the businesses on 16/11, then it would be accepted that they could not wait any longer for the political change. 'Akilisi and the gang did not carry out the actual torching of the businesses and yet they claimed the people, the people ...could not wait any longer. What a marvellous mislead set upon the minds of the people !!!! 'Akilisi is very well known for misleading the people to achieve his political agenda.

One thing I wish to remind the readers is that there is an acceptable level of accountability and transparency in the current govenment. The problem is with the inability of the people's reps to read, analyse and use the government documents that are presented into the House of Parliament. Because people's reps are not capable of understanding and using the budget and the annual reports of government departments as tools to control, monitor and evaluate the operations of the government they claim that the government's activities are not accountable and transparent to the people. These themes appeal to the people and, of course, not many people understand how the government works, and so believe what 'Akilisi and the gang say.

We need new people's representatives for the next election.

Many have claimed that the current system is corrupted, but please tell me that these corrupt activities will never happen in democractic system. Corruption is a very strong term and I wonder if people can give examples of corrupt activities that the pro-demo people are charging the current government with that will never occur in the democractic government? Can you prove beyond reasonable doubt that people were inducing the government officials to misuse their official positions to gain benefits for themselves and the government has suffered loss? Is it corruption when Tongans ask Custom Officers for a cheaper rate of duty? Is it corruption when people give lunch money to clerks in appreciation of their assistance in processing of applications? Corrupt acts of government officials have been brought to justice under the current system. As we understand corruption in the international level, many influential people in democratic societies are often missing and found dead with killers not found as a result of corrupt activities that took place in those democratic governments. Tonga is no where near the international corruption index prepared by the World Bank.

It is important that we follow closely and carefully analyse what 'Akilisi and the gang are doing and saying for they represent the iceberg that lurks below the evil actions of the young people on 16/11. I plead to the Tongan people that are in a position to help 'Akilisi and the gang to get their facts right to do so, for they have obviously mislead and poisoned the minds, heart and soul of our people. It would be very much appreciated to know if during the 20 years of 'Akilisi in the house that the house has tabled audited reports of its financial affairs and also the annual report of its activities. This will ensure proper accountability and transparency of the activities of our people's representatives. If the answer to this question is zero and none, then, it proves to the people that the people's representatives (9) are not accountable to the people and their activities are not transparent, and it does not guarantee that activities of the House will be accountable and transparent when the people elect all memebers of the house. This is because the House has a constitutional right to decide whatever they do with own affairs of the House. Ko e noa'ia atu mo e lulu tava fa'iteliha.

I am very sorry Venisi Uata, there will not be accountability and transparency for all to see from your proactive solution because of the constitutional rights of the House and its honorable members. If the people's reps did not enjoy the benefits of the constitutional rights of the House, they would have called the people to rally and lead a protest march to make the house's activities accountable and transparent for all to see. That would be a heroic start for a democratic movement.

Respectfully
Taasi Holiday