Constituency reports call for electoral system reforms [1]
Monday, September 28, 2020 - 12:15
From the House by Pesi Fonua
When Members of Parliament presented reports of their Constituency Tours to the Tongan Parliament last week, the Whole House Committee voted in favour of three reports but rejected one. Two of the reports stressed a need to amend Tonga's Electoral System.
On Tuesday 22 September the Committee of the Whole House (CWH) passed the Constituency Report of Siaosi Pohiva, Tongatapu No. 1 People's Representative, with a vote of 16-0.
There was no Parliamentary proceeding on Wednesday 23 September, but on Thursday 24 September the committee rejected the Constituency Report of Semisi Sika, Tongatapu No. 2 PR,with votes of 10-9.
They passed the Constituency Reports of the Mateni Tapueluelu, Tongatapu No. 4 PR with votes of 19-0; and Siaosi Sovaleni, Tongatapu No. 3 PR, 17-0.
The proceedings focused on People’s Representatives reporting to the House their finding during their one month tours meeting their constituents, which ended on 7 September.
Money handouts
The Tongatapu No. 1 PR, Siaosi Pohiva, was the first to table his report.
Siaosi said that there were 10 communities within his constituency. In the past there was a commission, and the practice was that the constituency budget allocation (this year $250,000 each) was given to the commission to administer, but this year since he was elected into parliament, the new approach was that when the communities presented their fills with invoices, “then we give them the money.”
Siaosi was convinced that his role as a Member of Parliament should be a law maker, and that the Budget Allocation for his constituency should be administered by the Town Officer and the District Officer.
Among the urgent need of his constituents are:
• Security (but the Community Police are a success);
• Food Security – most of the people is his constituency are from the outer islands and they don’t have land to grow food crops;
• Clean drinking water.
On a separate issue, he stressed the need to amend the Electoral System, and for the Tongatapu People’s Representative to be elected from the whole of Tongatapu, rather than by constituencies.
The Committee of the Whole House voted in favour of Siaosi Pohiva’s report 16-0.
Sika survey rejected
Next on the agenda was the Constituency Tour Report of the Tongatapu No. 2 PR, Semisi Sika.
Semisi conducted a survey and asked three questions for about 1331 constituents to answer.
He said he decided to take this approach because he had been having constituency tours since 2000 but he felt it was urgent to know the people's views on issues topical in the country.
The three questions in his survey were:
- Because of the threat of COVID-19, is it wise for government to proceed with the $300 million National Road Project. Already $1 5million has been allocated in the 2020-2021 Budget, and was with Ministry of Infrastructure. Do you want us to proceed with the project now or later? The response was that 80% wanted the road project to be deferred.
- General election – To do away with the Constituency Elections, and for Tongatapu to elect their 10 Representatives, ‘Eua, their one, Ha’apai two, Vava’u three and the Niuas one. He said that 70% agreed.
- On the issue for the people to elect the Prime Minister. He said 80% of the people supported the idea.
There were a few concerns about Semisi Sika’s Constituency Tour report.
Lord Tu'iha'angana the Ha'apai no. 1 Nobles Representative, expressed his concern that if they passed Sika’s report, that the House would have to action his findings.
Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, the Tongatapu No. 3 People's Representative, also expressed his concern that if they passed Sika's Constituency Report it would mean that they approved the outcome of his survey.
Sika's report was rejected with votes of 9-10.
Continuing reports
Two other Constituency Reports that the Committee of the Whole House had to vote on before they closed for the end of the week, were the reports of Tongatapu No. 4 People’s Representative, Mateni Tapueluelu and Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni.
Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni's 2020 Constituency Report was carried 17-0.
The 2019 and 2020 Constituency Reports of Mateni Tapueluelu were carried with votes of 19-0.