Results for Parliament

Tensions were building up inside and outside of the Tonga Legislative Assembly in Nuku'alofa during the week leading up to Thursday November 16, the day mob violence erupted, destroying much of the central business district. In the following report, Matangi Tonga staff piece together what happened on that ugly day, one month ago, including the events leading up to it.

Tonga needs an estimated USD$200 million to reconstruct and redevelop its capital Nuku'alofa, HM King George Tupou V said this morning in a speech from the Throne to close the 2006 session of the Tonga Legislative Assembly.

Since Friday, Tonga's People's Representatives and their supporters have presented two letters of petition to the Privy Council, calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister and all the Cabinet members.

The Tongan Parliament scheduled to sit today was cancelled because of damage done to the Parliament House.

A report recommending to government the formation of an Anti Corruption Commission was presented this afternoon (31 October 2006) to Tonga's Minister of Justice, Hon. 'Alisi Taumoepeau., by Mr John Wood, an former Australian Ombudsman.

A Road Map for political and constitutional reform in Tonga, is how Dr Sitiveni Halapua describes the report of the National Committee for Political Reform that he presented to the Tongan Parliament last week.

Tonga's Legislative Assembly on Thursday will go into a fifth day of deliberations over the recommendations of the National Committee for Political Reform that has proposed the formation of a new and elected 26-member parliamentary structure for the kingdom.

The King and the Government of Tonga should allow the people to elect all the members of the Tongan parliament, Dr Sitiveni Halapua told the Tongan Legislative Assembly today (5 October 2006).... At question time a People's Representative 'Akilisi Pohiva asked how deeply had the NPCR and the people discussed Section 75 of the Constitution - the right of members of parliament to impeach Cabinet Ministers, because there had been 10 impeachment cases since 1912, but no ministers had ever been impeached in Tonga.

Dr Sitiveni Halapua, the chairman of Tonga's National Committee for Political Reform (NCPR) will present a copy of their report to the Speaker of the Tongan parliament, Hon. Tu'iha'angana, on Saturday, September 30.