Eight of the 71 candidates for Tonga's April General Election are confirmed to have pending court cases with the Tongan Judiciary.

They include five of the nine incumbent People's Representatives: 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Isileli Pulu, William Clive Edwards, 'Uliti Uata and Lepolo Taunisila.

The five members are charged with sedition, following the November 16 riots, and their trial was postponed from November 2007 to August of this year.

The postponement was to allow the Court of Appeal to sit and decide on an application by the five members against new submissions filed by the Crown Law and accepted by Chief Justice Anthony Ford for two additional charges of abetment to a riotous assembly and abetment to the damage of buildings, to be made against each of them.

The Court of Appeal sits once a year in July and according to the Crown Law Department, if the Court of Appeal upholds the Chief Justice's ruling, the accused will face three charges: sedition, abetment to a riotous assembly and abetment to the damage of buildings.

Others

Others candidates who have pending court cases relating to the riots of November 16, 2006 include Sangstar Saulala who is running for Tongatapu, 'Ofa Simiki who is running for the Niuas, and Teisina Fuko who is running for Ha'apai.

A spokesperson from the Crown Law office said today, that the trial of the five members was still being arraigned for August but they will wait for the Court of Appeal decision before they decide on the direction of the hearing.

In the meantime, those who have pending court cases can still run for the election but if they are proven guilty then they will be unseated from Parliament.