By Pesi Fonua

Lord Feleti Sevele

The reconstruction of the Nuku'alofa CBD along with the formation of a Nuku'alofa Town Council was intended to play a key part in the economic and political development of Tonga, according to a former Prime Minister, Lord Feleti Sevele.

Lord Sevele believed that a Parliamentary Select Committee's recent negative report on the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation and the multi-million pa'anga reconstruction of the Nuku'alofa CBD, had sabotaged the late King George Tupou V's vision of a Tonga of the future.

"After the destruction of the Nuku'alofa CBD on 16 November 2006, His Majesty said, 'let's build a modern capital.'

Local government

Lord Sevele said that the concept of introducing local government or town councils was part of George Tupou V's economic development plan for Tonga.

"A blow to Tonga's economic development was the rejection by the new parliament in its very first session of legislation for the establishment of local government."

Lord Sevele said that the project had not only included the reconstruction of what had been burnt down, but also introducing local government, in the form of a Nuku'alofa Town Council, which during its first four years would be manned by volunteers, "people who have the interest of Nuku'alofa, who have the vision, who can move things."

Lord Sevele said there was also a similar plan for Neiafu and Pangai. The concept of the Nuku'alofa Town Council was envisaged to develop and spread from Nuku'alofa to Ma'ufanga, to Kolomofu'a and onward. "Unfortunately these guys in parliament could not see that and they voted the thing out, in the first sitting of parliament in early 2011.

 "That was His Majesty's vision, and those of us who could look ahead for the next 20 and 30 years, that was the whole vision. Nuku'alofa would be foot-pathed and have street lights, and for people to look after their roads, and then you extend that development to other villages, and to the whole country.

"Between Vuna Wharf and the Yellow Pier there was going to be a man-made beach, and there was going to be a shopping mall on the reclaimed area in front of Pangai Lahi, and, of cours,e the St George's Palace at Pangai Si'i was also a part of the Nuku'alofa CBD plan.

"The Nuku'alofa reconstruction project is the biggest development project this country has ever had. If you look at what is happening in the rest of the world, China, Europe, that is the kind of development that was envisaged, to look ahead for the next twenty years, and let's plan ahead. But at the moment no one is doing that, and that was why a Town Council was necessary," he said.

$119 million loan

Lord Sevele objected to the allegation made by the parliamentary select committee that the $TOP119 million loan from China was illegal because government had failed to abide by the Public Finance Management Act 2002.

"If it was not legal why didn't they asked for it at the time. The loan was put together and then forwarded to Cabinet, Privy Council, and then to Parliament, and it was accepted by parliament, the total amount was accepted, the scope was very general at the time. Initially, it was intended for buildings that were destroyed, but in any reconstruction of a town, there were other things that came to light.

Lord Sevele said that the House had passed the projects after the loan was approved on November 2007, including the projects for the Royal Palace and the wharf.

"I had Cabinet consider those because at the time, there were no other projects to be done, but there were funds available. Cabinet unanimously agreed, then I informed the House that this is what we are planning to do."

Lord Sevele said that in general the House was quite happy with the projects for the extension of the Royal Palace and for the reconstruction of Vuna Wharf. "There might not have been a specific resolution, but that is irrelevant, the fact is that I took it to the House and informed the House, and there were no dissenting votes. Nothing was done in secret. Publicly we had a conference in the palace, and a press conference for the signing of the contracts".

Motion for a Vote of No Confidence

Lord Sevele believed that a Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister that the Tongan Parliament had yet to vote on, had derailed Tonga's two year old political reform program.

"They should have allowed this government to finish its term. The clause for a motion for a vote of no confidence was put in there to be used sensibly, not simply because someone wants to snatch political power."

With regards to the Political Reform, is there something in it that he would like to polish up or improve on, the former Prime Minister Lord Sevele responded that, "the problem was because the people elected the wrong people into parliament."