Editor,

Please allow me to respond to the accusation by the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party that the Government is being disrespectful of the Commission by amending the Constitution so as to enable Nobles' and People's Representatives appointed to Cabinet to retain their seats in the current Legislative Assembly.

It should have been obvious to the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party that, if they had bothered to carefully read the Constitutional and Electoral Commission Act 2008, the Commission's work is to provide advice on what the structure and processes of a new Government should look like after the reforms are implemented.

As such, the Commission's mandate and its work do not place any injunctions or embargoes on the decisions and actions of the current Government and current Legislative Assembly. Therefore they are well within their mandate to make the amendment to the Constitution which is the basis of the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party's accusation.

Put in plain and clear language, the Commission's role is to provide advice to the His Majesty in Privy Council and the Legislative Assembly about reforms. Until such time that the recommendations made by the Commission is adopted by the Legislative Assembly and His Majesty in Privy Council and implemented, the current Government and Legislative Assembly must continue to govern the country as they see fit.

As to being "disrespectful", the Langafonua Tu'uloa Party needs to be reminded that it was the Government that had proposed the creation of the Constitutional and Electoral Commission at the first place.

The Party also needs to be informed that the Government made two comprehensive submissions to the Commission in February and July 2009. Surely that can't be interpreted as being disrespectful!

Finally let me assure your readers that the Government has the highest respect for Constitutional and Electoral Commission and the important work with which it has been mandated.

Faka'apa'apa atu.

Lopeti Senituli

Press Secretary/Political Adviser to the Hon Prime Minister

lsenituli [at] pmo [dot] gov [dot] to