An argument among "Demos" People's Representatives, and between the Demos and the new kid on the block, the People's Democratic Party, featured in most of the local newspapers this week in Tonga, apart from the Kele'a, which featured another episode in the Piveni Pikula revelations about Shoreline.

Talaki

The Talaki reported a call by 'Isileli Pulu the Tongatapu No. 2 PR, for the two elected People's Representatives, who had been appointed Cabinet Ministers, Dr Feleti Sevele and Peauafi Haukinima, to get on with government responsibilities and to not get involved in the proposed May protest march and the working agenda of the PRs and the people.

In the Talaki, 'Isileli Pulu remained to be an unhappy PR, he was not in favour with the move by 'Uliti Uata, and accepted by other PRs, for the postponement of the protest march from May 7 to May 21. He also expressed his suspicion over a proposal by the Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele, the acting Prime Minister, to let him continue his negotiations with Shoreline.

The Talaki also reported that Teisina Fuko told a People's Democratic Party (PDP) meeting on Friday April 22 that the PDP would be one of the plaintiffs in the case, taking the Tonga Electric Power Board and Shoreline to court. He said that the party should become a plaintiff, so that expenses would be borne by the party and not by the five individual plaintiffs.

The lawyer who filed the writ with the Supreme Court, Mana Kaufusi, told the meeting that the TEPB had filed their defence, but not Shoreline. The meeting appointed a group of lawyers to work on amending the writ to strengthen the status of the plaintiff.

Taimi 'o Tonga

The Taimi in its Tuesday edition reported a query by 'Akilisi Pohiva over why some of the leaders of the People's Democratic Party such as Clive Edwards, Futa Helu, 'Alani Taione and Semisi Tapueluelu were not plaintiffs in their well-publicised court case against Shoreline.

The five plaintiffs were Lautaimi Siale from Pelehake, Maile Fa'ase'e, Finau Makahununiu from Vaini, Tevita Funake from Folaha, and Tu'amelie Paea from Ngele'ia.

The Taimi of Friday April 29 reported that at a meeting of the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement (THRDM) that was held at the Head Office of the Wesleyan Church in Nuku'alofa on the evening of April 22, the Acting Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele, with the support of the Minister for Forestry, Hon. Peauafi Haukinima, proposed for the march to be postponed from May 7 to May 21. Feleti also proposed for the Petition to be given to them to present to the Prince Regent and the Cabinet before it is presented to the King.

The proposal was approved by the meeting. The Chairman of the THRDM Rev. Simote Vea favoured the involvement of the two Cabinet Ministers and said that it was the first time that the movement had worked together with the government, and he welcomed the approach. Simote also emphasised that the march was being organised by the People's Representatives and not by the THRDM.

'Isileli Pulu continued to be an unhappy PR. In a question and answer interview of 'Isileli Pulu by Faka'osi Maama, 'Isileli was dead against the postponement of the protest march from May 7 to May 21.

'Isileli thought it was hilarious that when they met to plan the march, the Acting Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele spoke and pushed for the march to be postponed and that for the petition with 20,000 signatures to be given to him and the Minister for Forestry to present to the Prince Regent and Cabinet. He suspected that it was a political move by Tupouto'a to make Feleti Acting Prime Minister while the PRs were planning the march.

'Isileli said that if they followed the way that had been proposed by Feleti the march would achieve nothing, the same with the three-hour meeting of 'Akilisi and the Prince Regent Crown Prince Tupouto'a, it amounted to zero, he said.

'Isileli emphasised his belief that Dr Feleti Sevele and Peauafi Haukinima should not get involved in the working agenda of the People's Representatives.

'Isileli also expressed his dislike of the fact that decisions were made only by 'Akilisi, 'Uliti and Feleti, and then he was later informed. They decided on Finau Tutone to be their candidate for the coming by-election, and for the march to be postponed, without his knowledge.

The argument between the THRDM and PDP continued and Lopeti Senituli the former director of the THRDM has been appointed as the vice chairman of the Movement, replacing Professor Futa Helu.

Kele'a

The Kele'a resumed with part three of the interview of Piveni Piukala by Tavake Fusimalohi, and comments by Piveni on an interview of Sefo Ramanlala in the Media Council's weekly TV program on Television Tonga.

Part Three started off with a Chat Email between Piveni and a former Shoreline Accountant, a Philipino who was fired.

Piveni got things rolling by asking the former accountant if he thought that the Ramanlals used HRH and misused company's funds.

The accountant agreed with Piveni and said that that was what was going on. He said that he raised with the auditor his concern over the transference of $252,000 for company expenses without any supporting papers. He said that amount went to the credit card accounts of the top executives for their travel allowances.

With regards to the Media Council's interview Piveni said that when Sefo said on television that the expenses of the executives of Shoreline was approved by the Board, it was joke because the two people who made up the Board were Tupouto'a and Sefo, and according to him they hade the power and no one had the power to point fingers at them.

With regards to Sefo's comment that Piveni was fired by Shoreline, Piveni revealed an email between him and 'Emeline Tuita, with 'Emeline negotiating for him to stay. 'Emeline offered a salary of $100,000 or more but the answer she got from Piveni was "Count Me Out".

The end result was that Piveni left with the Source Code for the Shoreline Accounting program, and the only way out for Shoreline was to get the Source Code back and then find a new programmer to structure a new system.

Piveni was asked about a comment by Sefo that the rise in the price of electricity was because of the rising oil price.

Piveni replied that Sefo did not know and was not interested in the running of the company, all he was interested in was the misusing of the people's money. He said that Shoreline's revenue was 100% more than their expenditure on oil imports. He said that it was unrealistic for Shoreline to talk about dividends when there were loans that had not been repaid.

Tavake asked Piveni about why Tupouto'a was so attached to the Indians and if there was Shoreline money that had been transferred to an overseas account of Tupouto'a and the likely amount that had transferred to such an account.

Piveni did not want to answer the question, instead he made a general comment that the Tongan monarchy appeared rich because the Tongan people love them and they want them to have the best. He believed that Tupou I was a popular king because he embraced Christianity and he loved the people, two things he said that neither the Crown Prince nor the royal family have today. He said that "obviously the Crown Prince chose to stick with the two Indian Princes which indicate to us that, yes, they are really under the Royal Family's class and protection." He said that it was obvious that Tupouto'a valued his two Indian business friends more than the loyalty of the people.

Piveni said that his wife complained that they had left their comfortable home behind and went to Fiji to start a new life all over again, but he told her that they had reached the "...…defining moment of our lives," he said that it was going to be a choice between moral principles or money.