Following the success of the Public Servants strike, and the people's first taste of political power, Minority rule, which has been the tradition in Tonga's Constitutional Monarchy, is coming under great pressure to change to be in line with the aspirations of Tongans today for a more democratic form of government. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua
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Thursday 15 September 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
I am really tired of reading about Tonga and her problems, especially because of the politics that's involved. Hearing about Tonga is like listening to a very needy relative, as much as you love them; you still get tired of listening to them and wish for a little while that they would go away. - Mele Latu

Friday 2 September 2005
New Zealand
The Prime Minister of Tonga has been quoted so many times in Parliament, claiming that people are being incited to riot. Are they? Or, is it the case of people finally getting up to do what is right for Tonga: to demand a change in the way their future is constantly being determined by a handful, whose interests are far from that of making a better life for "ordinary" Tongans? - Finehika Vavatau
Friday 26 August 2005
London, UK
Let me refresh what was inevitable in the start of my letters. The shift now, from this strike has gone to a road where history has taught many nations, that were once ruled by powerful monarchs. Those soverign nations are now super powered nations. The lesson in the past with these nations are simple: Without the people, you do not have a government! and once you have lost the respect of the people, you do not have a nation. What you have; is a nation that wants change. - William Mariner
Friday 26 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The PSA should accept the government's current wage offer for many reasons. - Sifa Citizen
Monday 20 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The People's Representatives' Private Bill to amend the Consumption Tax will be a crunching issue before the House, which should start debate on it soon, possibly before the end of the month, meanwhile, members debating the Budget said CT was badly timed and was imposed on a struggling economy. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 7, Monday June 13, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua

Wednesday 1 June 2005
1 comment
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tonga government's official response to the public uproar over the high cost of electricity and salaries of the top executives of Shoreline Power appears to be insincere and doubtful. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.

Tuesday 31 May 2005
Texas, USA
I am deeply concerned over what I read and what I see on the internet. I am in a wheel chair due to my health. I am only thirty nine years old and at one time in my life I had no hope. I was angry at the world and at people, my story may sound familiar too you, and you may have grown tried of hearing it. But three wonderful Tongan men taught me to have hope, they reached out to a stranger and showed that true friendship knows no color, it knows no religion, it can be between the young and the old, the sick and those who have health. It is one of our world's greatest gifts and it is the one of the base ingredients for hope. - Larry Norton
Wednesday 25 May 2005
Suva, Fiji
So where is Tonga heading? In fact Tonga is quite a unique case. The country has very little natural resources to speak of, except its people whose remittances sustain the economy.
Because the Tongans are very attached to their homeland and are proud of their heritage and identity, so in some sense they are being held economic hostage by the rulers, as the only tangible influence they can exert is to withhold sending money home. But that only punishes their loved ones.
Tuesday 24 May 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Ko e FAIHALA (injustice) ko e taha ia ha kaveinga malie mo fihi hono talanoa ‘i, he ko e angamaheni hono talanoa ‘i ‘ona ‘e nofo ia ‘i he FAITOTONU (justice). ‘Oku pehe leva ko e Faihala ko e nunu ‘a ia ‘o e mo ‘ui TA ‘E-FAITOTONU. Pea ko e ‘Ngaue hala ‘aki ‘o e Mafai ‘ (Corruption) ko e taha pe ia ‘o e ngaahi fotunga mahino pe nunu ‘a ‘o e mo ‘ui ta ‘e-faitotonu. ‘A ia ko e kupu si ‘i pe ia ‘o e to ‘onga mo ‘ui FAIHALA. Ke fakava ‘e ha sosaieti, ‘oku vakili leva ‘e he tangata hono ngaahi tefito ‘i ‘ulungaanga ‘o to ‘o uho mai ‘a ia tene lava ‘o fataki e kaveinga fakama ‘uma ‘uluta ‘e ne mo ‘ui fakasosiale, pea ‘oku nofo loto ai ‘ene fakamaau ki he lelei mo e kovi (molale) kae ‘uma ‘a e totonu mo e hala (...efika) ‘o ‘e ne mo ‘ui. Ka ‘oku mahu ‘inga ke mahino he ‘ikai te tau talanoa ki he faihala ‘o hange ‘e lava ‘o to ‘o faka ‘aufuli mei he ‘etau mo ‘ui. - ‘Inoke Fotu Hu‘akau

Monday 23 May 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
Shall we say that, at this point in time, the call for political reform in Tonga has reached an extremely low point? There was a time in which the only voice that propagated political reform was the Temo (Tonga Pro-Democracy and Human Rights) movement. But what of the revelation of divisions amongst its ranks (I refer here to the media coverage of unstable relations between 'Isi Pulu and some of the party members)? -Rev. Dr. Ma'afu'atu'itonga Palu
Thursday 19 May 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
What's on TV? Politics, politics and politics. Both Tonga's local TV stations, TV Tonga (TBC) and OBN TV7 via their evening main shows are either about Democratic Parties or the Consumption Tax Cry.
Wednesday 18 May 2005
USA
Before and during the election, proposals and counter proposals were offered to solve our problems within the kingdom. It seemed everyone was optimistic about the future as they used the Crown Prince and the Shoreline as their whipping boy. Then, the Professor split with his entourage to form the People's Democratic Party. I wonder what was so hard and unpalatable at the Temo's Camp that broke Yoda's last nerve?
Saturday 14 May 2005
1 comment
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Sydney, Australia
Ko e to’onga mo’ui pule’ia, ko e imisi ofi ia e tukunga mo’ui ‘oku ‘I ai e tangata he ‘e to loto ai ‘e ne mo’ui fakalaumalie ‘i hono va mo e ‘Otua, ‘e ne mo’ui fakamatelie ‘i hono va mo Natula pea pehe ki he fakasosiale ‘i he fakafa’ahinga. Ko e to’onga mo’ui eni ‘oku uho ‘aki e me’a k oe PULE’IA mo e PULEKEHEA. Ko e ngaahi fehu’i ‘oku tau fehangahangai mo ia ‘i he politiki hange ko e foungapule (‘aitolosia); mafai (authority) mo e ha fua, ko e tepu ia ‘o e to’onga mo’ui koeni. He ko e Politiki ko e saianisi ‘ia ‘o hono PULE’I ‘o e sosaieti, pea ko e taha ‘o hono ngaahi me’angaue tefito ko e MAFAI. - ‘Inoke Fotu Hu‘akau

Saturday 14 May 2005
3 comments
Auckland, New Zealand
I have noted that in the last 10 years or so the term 'corruption' has been widely used in Tonga and in most cases, it is levelled against those in authority, particularly against the Royal family and the government. And of course, the term is mostly used in the political arena and by the media for various agendas and in most of the cases they have been right in its application.
Friday 6 May 2005
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Auckland, New Zealand
I take my hat off to the PDP and congratulate them for a 'landslide' victory over the THRDM. I say landslide since they have existed for only 22 days but they have gained 1 seat in the people's 11 places in Parliament (9 PR and 2 Cabinet ministers). Compare that with the 8 seats by the THRDM who have been in existence for more than 10 years.

Thursday 5 May 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Polling started slowly in Nuku'alofa in today's By Election to elect two new People's Representatives to the Tongan Parliament - one from Tongatapu and the other from the two Niuas .

Monday 2 May 2005
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Sydney, Australia
Ko e lea tau e mala’e ‘o e politiki ‘i he fonua mo e kuonga kotoa pe ko e fo’ilea koia ko e .”KAKAI” (people). Ka ko e lea’ni ‘oku mafulifuli hono ‘uhinga, ‘a ia ko hono kakano ia, ‘o makatu’unga ‘i he va (relation) ‘o e “founga fakahoko ngaue’ mo e “kaveinga’ ‘a ia ‘i he faka-politikale ‘oku nofo kainga ai e ongo fakakaukau ‘e ua: -'Inoke Fotu Hu'akau

Monday 2 May 2005
2 comments
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When Professor Futa Helu withdrew his support from 'Akilisi Pohiva and Dr Feleti Sevele, and endorsed Clive Edwards as the Number One candidate for Tongatapu in the recent March parliamentary election, he initiated a split in Tonga's Pro-democracy Movement. Tonga now has two Demo camps, the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement and the People's Democratic Party, which have begun to be critical of each other. - Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua
Friday 22 April 2005
1 comment
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The sudden rise of Dr Feleti Sevele to a prominent position in Cabinet, as Acting Prime Minister, this week is food for thought, taking into consideration that he is a full-blooded Demo who has been pushing for political changes in Tonga for years. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.
