From the House by Pesi Fonua

Tongan politics are in turmoil after a letter for a motion for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa, was tabled into parliament a day before the House closed its 2020 session on 10 December. Details of the letter have emerged, raising seven concerns.

The Letter for a Motion for a Vote of No Confidence, signed by 10 of the 17 elected People’s Representatives, was tabled by the Tongatapu No. 2 PR, Semisi Sika, and it won't be heard until Parliament resumes on 12 January.

The letter firstly asserts that the Prime Minister and his government have no strategy for Tonga to counter COVID-19, if it gets here.

Concerns

The letter raises concerns over the government's financial plans.

It asserts that a government proposal to fund a large deficit in its 2020-2021 Annual Budget with a proposed $19 million loan from the IMF and the sale of $20 million bonds exceeded the $15 million that government can borrow. The motion calls for the proposed loan and the sale of bonds to be tabled separately for the House to vote on, but not as a part of the National Budget.

It also asserts that the government's massive roads project is improper, with $300 million in budget allocations over the next three years, on top of other financial needs for the coming year. These needs were listed as: a. $100m for gravel; b. $50m for tar seal and kerosene; c. $20m to clear roadways; d. $50m for workers, overtime payments and fuel; e. $20m for tar sealing equipment; f. $20m to construct water drainage; g. $40m for other expenses.

The letter  complained about unfair distribution of government funds in the Annual Budget, citing a government aid package for sea transportation to ‘Eua. It claims that this aid goes to a shipping company in which the Minister of Finance is directly involved.

With the domestic airline service, government established its own domestic airline and, the letter claims, put a privately owned domestic airline out of business. It also questions a government $610,600 expenditure on unspecified “media expenses”.

It also questions the logic of constructing sidewalks in rural districts in Tongatapu, while there are still no sidewalks for the town centers in Vava‘u, Ha‘apai and ‘Eua.

The recent big expenses incurred by the government to hold fasting and praying in outer islands, is criticised. There is also a major concern over the apparent payment of travel allowances and other personal expenses of the wives of Cabinet Ministers who accompanied them on their national tours.

In the agricultural sector the stoppage of watermelon exports to New Zealand, this year, is blamed on a failure of the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture to follow the proper procedure of growing and the packaging of watermelons for export. Tonga has been exporting watermelons to New Zealand since 1996, but this was the first time that they had been stopped for failures in quality.

After receiving the letter, the Speaker of the House, Lord Fakafanua declared that the House would preside over the Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister when parliament resumed on 12 January 2021.

General Election 2021

Hon. Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa was elected as Prime Minister on 27 September 2019 to complete the term in office of the government of the late Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva, until the next parliamentary election at the end of next year 2021.

In September 2019, when Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva died, Semisi Sika, the Deputy Prime Minister became the Acting PM. However, when 23 elected members of Parliament voted in a secret ballot to elect a new Prime Minister, 15 voted for Tu‘i‘onetoa and eight for the other nominee, Sika. Tonga’s political situation became more confused when the new PM declared that his government was to be a government of the People’s Party, a new political party. Prior to this announcement the only known political party was led by the late PM Pohiva, called the Paati Politiki ‘a e ‘Otu Anga‘ofa (PATOA).

The Letter for a Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister, Hon. Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa was signed by 10 People’s Representatives: Siaosi Pohiva, Semisi Sika, Mateni Tapueluelu, Losaline Ma‘asi, Sione Vuna Fa‘otusia (Dep. PM), Semisi Fakahau, Penisimani Fifita, Mo‘ale Finau, Veivosa Taka and Dr Saia Piukala.

The 27 members of the Tongan Parliament currently include 17 People’s Representatives, nine Nobles’ Representatives and one member (without voting rights) appointed by the Prime Minister.