Although some candidates for Tonga's April parliamentary general election are campaigning under the banners of emerging political parties, the candidates will still be standing for election as individuals.

Pita Vuki, the government's Electoral Officer, said that Tonga's electoral law has not changed, and that candidates are registered as individuals contesting the seats for the five islands groups of Tongatapu, 'Eua, Ha'apai, Vava'u and the two Niuas.

Pita said that political parties have been registered in Tonga, "because a group of candidates want to campaign together, but with regards to the election, these parties can't register candidates, the candidates have to register as individuals."

He said that when the new political reform program was introduced, the Electoral Law would be amended to introduce a political party system of government.

Ministers

Pita said that at the moment if an incumbent Cabinet Minister wants to stand for election he will have to resign his cabinet post.

"Before they were appointed as Cabinet Minister they had to resign as elected members of the Tongan parliament, so if they want to become candidates for the April Parliamentary Election, they have to resign as Cabinet Ministers," he said.