Results for Tonga political reform

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.

Tonga's former Prime Minister Lord Sevele, a witness at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court this afternoon, denied suggestions that his government had tried to “freeze-out” the former Attorney General John Cauchi.

Tonga should have a new Prime Minister Designate by Monday or Tuesday next week. But the intense political competition going on as we are heading for the Second Round of our 2010 Parliamentary Election is that, suddenly, the contest is between a Political Party and a bloc of elected members of parliament. The outcome of this encounter in a country that has no laws to regulate parties is that one group will have a majority in Parliament to form a majority government and because of that, will be able to install a dictator into power. Editor's Comment, by Pesi Fonua.

The Speech of HM King George Tupou V on the closing of the Tonga Legislative Assembly session in October 2010: This year has been one of those with the highest workloads for Government and the Legislative Assembly in order to complete the reforms to our Constitution and the Legislations regarding the powers and responsibilities of the Privy Council, the Cabinet, the Legislative Assembly and the Judiciary. But the most important and historically most significant duty of the Government and Legislative Assembly this year had been to facilitate and complete the devolution of My executive authority as the King of Tonga, to the People.

The closure of the Tongan parliament on Thursday, September 30 was a historical and a memorable event for Tonga but was not celebrated with the usual fanfare for the closing of the annual session.

A Forum for Discussion on how to educate the Tongan public about the function of parliament, government and the law, and Tonga's political reform, was hosted by the Kolofo'ou Development Committee at the International Dateline Hotel on Friday, May 28.

The eagerly awaited final report of Tonga's Constitutional and Electoral Commission released this week, contains some 80 recommendations on how to structure a new system of government for Tonga. While there are no surprises, the Commission does voice a concern over an apparent lack of understanding of its aims and the actual contents of its reports by some of the members of the House, who will be trusted with making the final decision on the new structure. By Pesi Fonua

Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele commented on Tonga's warm diplomatic relationship with New Zealand, the political reform process in Tonga and its stance on the Fijian political upheaval when he spoke at Victoria University on the evening of May 18.