Tonga's political reform is precisely a reforming of the composition of the parliament, Dr Malakai Koloamatangi, a Political Science Lecturer at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, told members of the Tongan media on Wednesday, September 9.

Speaking on the theme "Constitutional Monarchy, Past and Present," Dr Koloamatangi said that by reforming the composition of the Tonga parliament means that this time the people will hold the power in parliament. He said that the situation that we have found ourselves in is a natural process in the evolution of monarchy.

"Tonga is very lucky to get to get to where it is today, for the three sectors of the society that hold the power, the King, the aristocrats and the people to agree "to lets start from scratch. Wipe clean and then start afresh. Not many countries in the world have that opportunity.

Need for dialogue

"We are now at a situation where there is a need for negotiation and dialogue. Politics is about compromise, no one is going to get 100% of what they want, you will be lucky if you get even 50%."

Dr Koloamatangi the author of a book of Tongan political terminology, was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Media Council of Tonga.

Malakai said that the history of the monarchy goes back centuries when groups of people were naturally drawn together and decided that they should appoint someone to look after their affairs, and that person became the king, "an absolute monarch who has all the power to rule."

Tonga had that system during the Tu'i Tonga, Tu'i Ha'a Takalaua and the early Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasties.

Malakai said that when the Christian missionaries arrived in Tonga from England during the early 1800s they found a society that had some similarities to what they had back home. There were kings, aristocrats and ordinary people. "They had a monarchy that was already evolving. The authority of the then Queen Victoria was already limited by law, the Common Law of England, which was written not on paper but on the heart of the people."

Constitutional Monarchy

The principal of a Constitutional Monarchy was then introduced to Tonga in 1862, and Tonga's written constitution was proclaimed by Tupou I on November 4, 1875. "Tonga became a Constitutional Monarchy. The monarch then ruled under the Constitution and the law of Tonga."

Malakai said that in those early days Tonga's parliament was only for nobles, but as the Constitutional Monarchy evolved, the ordinary people could elect representatives.

The Tongan parliament, however, continued to be dominated by nobles, taking into consideration that Cabinet Ministers are considered as nobles once they enter parliament.

Reform

The proposed reform of the Tongan parliament that has been scheduled for 2010 aims at allowing the people to have more influence in the running of the affairs of the country.

But how Tonga is going to do it remains to be the big question.

Malakai believes that a parliament with 26 members, 17 People's Representatives and nine nobles is too small and could run into problems with a parliament dominated by executives.

The existing structure of a Privy Council and a Cabinet has to be dealt with, so does the principal of a Separation of Power.

Malakai pointed out that we can't have a system with a Check and Balance mechanism if there is no clear Separation of Power.

With regards to the possibility of introducing a Political Party System of government for Tonga. Malakai pointed out that there are already informal parties, but in the region the Political Party System does not work so well. "In a situation where there are too many small parties, members crossing the floor is a problem. The use of Vote of No Confidence has also became a destabilising factor in some of these small island parliaments."

Challenge

So the way forward for Tonga is that we are still going to have a Constitutional Monarchy, and the nobles appear to have secured their nine seats in the House, and the big challenge remains, how are the people going to structure a parliament that could take Tonga up another level and be in line with the enlightment of the 21st century.

According to Dr Malakai Koloamatangi, the process needs, "more negotiation and dialogue. We can't just wait and take things as they come."