Results for Pesi Fonua

The working relationship between the Tongan Parliament and Government became stranded as members of parliament engaged in a debate over a Petition from the Tonga National Construction Inc., urging Parliament to increase the budget estimation provided by the government’s Project Management Unit for the Tsunami House Reconstruction Project. The House thought they were running out of time as they were expecting to close their session on 8 December, but that was not to be. From the House by Pesi Fonua

We are emotional. One week after the catastrophic Hunga explosion and multiple tsunamis in Tonga, we have a chance to let you, our readers, know that we at Matangi Tonga are fine. You may have seen reports coming out of Tonga by satellite phone and through a few people who have full internet access. Tonga is dealing with a disruptive catastrophe. From our office we felt the massive blast of the Hunga eruption and watched many powerful tsunami waves arrive. We have articles and reports to bring you, but right now we're just saying “we're back - and thanks for all the well wishes and concerns”. We will upload our articles and photos when and as we can. 'Ofa atu, Pesi and Mary Lyn Fonua

The call for Tongans to be sensible and to select parliamentary representatives who will use their money wisely, is a message that we have heard repeatedly since the first election under our new system of government that was introduced in 2010. Campaigning is underway for the upcoming General Election on November 18, 2021, which will be the fourth General Election under our so-called “More Democratic System of Government”. But most interestingly, after 11 years, we find ourselves still living in Disneyland, with politicians promoting many different interpretations of the system of government and encouraging everyone to go along for the ride. By Pesi Fonua

Voice Recording. Na‘e ‘i ai ‘a e hoha‘a lahi ‘a e tangata‘eiki palemia, ‘Akilisi Pohiva (78) ki he fa‘unga ‘a hono pule‘anga ‘i ha‘ane mavahe atu mei he mamani ‘oku tau ‘i ai. Ko e liliu fakapolitikale na‘e faka‘amu ki ai ‘oku kehe ‘aupito ia mei he me‘a ‘oku hoko. Na’e ‘i ai ‘a ‘ene manavasi‘i ki ha ngaahi fepakipaki ‘e hoko. Na‘e faka‘eke‘eke ai ‘e Pesi Fonua, ‘Etita ‘o e Matangi Tonga Online ‘o fekau‘aki pea mo e tu‘unga ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e fonua, ‘osi eni ‘a e ta‘u ‘e hiva pea mei he liliu faka politikale na‘e fai ‘oku kei fai pe ‘a e ta‘e femahino ‘aki fekau‘aki mo e fakalelei faka politikale na‘e tali ‘e he Fale Alea ‘i he 2009. ‘Oku mau tukuatu heni ‘a hono faka‘eke‘eke ‘e Pesi Fonua ‘a e Palemia kuo unga fonua, ‘Akilisi Pohiva, na‘e fai ‘i he ‘aho 26 ‘o ‘Akosi ‘i hono ‘ofisi ‘i Nuku’alofa, ‘i ha ngaahi uike si‘i pe pea ne si‘i to tau ‘i he ‘aho 12 ‘o Sepitema 2019.

Eleven months from now, in November 2014 Tongans will go to the polls to elect new members of parliament. As Tongans are preparing to pick their teams to find solutions to Tonga's many problems, it is important to look at some of the immediate challenges that are confronting Tonga’s More-Democratically-Elected Government (MDE). Editor's Comment, by Pesi Fonua,

While Tonga's sovereignty and its right to make its own decisions is undeniable, but the wisdom of those decisions, surely, must be in harmony with our neighbours and the rest of the Western world that we are a part of. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.

The Tonga government's current sense of urgency to introduce a Freedom of Information Policy and to activate an Anti-Corruption Commission, is a sign that it has come to terms with the need to take its reform program to another level, and to have a more transparent, and corruption-free administration. After a year-long search for a more democratic system, the new government is still trying to find its feet as the Constitutional and Political Reform continues to unfold itself.

Following the posting of my Editorial, "Fresh new parliament needs fresh new members" on February 23, there has been some aggressive flak from a People's Representative and reactions from political observers that attempt to distract from the points that were made. I have consistently pointed out that if Tonga sets up a new parliament with such a composition of 26 members...it is clear to see we will put a dictator in power. The great challenge before Tonga now is to put a democratic government into place as soon as possible and to avoid allowing vested interests to create a dictatorship. Editor's Comment.

In spite of our national eagerness to embrace the economic and political reform programs that were introduced by government during the first few years of a new century, the reality was that the strong words that were used to describe the reforms and win public support were followed by the indifference and elements of uncertainty that the reforms were implemented with. Editor's Comment, by Pesi Fonua