Results for Parliament

Hon. Veikune, the Speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, first entered Parliament in 1975 as one of two Noble’s representatives for Vava‘u. During his 22 years in the House, Hon. Veikune has served as Chairman of the Whole House Committee, and last year was appointed by the King as the new Speaker. Recently he has taken part in a regional seminar on Parliamentary democracy, and here comments on the stability of the Tongan parliamentary system, as seen from the nobility’s viewpoint. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 3, September 2000.

‘Eseta Fusitu‘a, a key government spokesperson on Tongan affairs denies a claim that there is no accountability in the Tongan political system. She says that Tongans must find their own way and not be herded into accepting a foreign system. ‘Eseta is Deputy Chief Secretary and Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, and heads the Government Information Unit. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 2, June 2000.

(From our archives, March 2000). Millennium interview with Baron Vaea. When King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV finally accepted the resignation of Tonga’s 78-year-old Prime Minister, Hon. Baron Vaea, on December 3, 1999, it ended another intriguing saga of Tongan politics. Strange as it may sound, this was the case of a Prime Minister who had wanted to retire and go home after serving five decades in the public service—but he was not allowed to. When he finally agreed to our interview, on January 11, it was obvious why this overworked man had insisted on retirement. Baron Vaea was one exhausted person.

The last session of the Tongan Legislative Assembly of the century was closed by King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV on November 22, at Queen Salote Memorial Hall with Cabinet ministers and the Members of Parliament. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 4, December 1999.

Any hope by the people of Tonga for their representatives and the Tongan parliament to pass a budget that could revive the economy by allocating a substantial amount of money as incentive to boost production in Tonga’s three main sectors, Agriculture, Fisheries and Tourism, was wishful thinking. From the House by Pesi Fonua. Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 3, July 1999.

The Tonga Pro-Democracy Movement has changed its name. In the process of changing its image from that of a political organisation to become a Non-Government Organisation, it is now called the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 2, May 1999.

What difference would it make to the 1999 Tongan Parliamentary Election on March 11 if the estimated 25,000 eligible Tongan voters overseas were allowed to vote? By Pesi Fonua. Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 1, January 1999.

It was important for Tonga to make up its mind on whether to link its legal practices to the British legal system or to the Australian and New Zealand legal system, Laki Niu, the president of the Tongan Law Society told a dinner to mark the end of the 1998 Tonga Court of Appeal.

Since the Tonga Legislative Assembly began its 1998 session on May 18, it has yet to put together a package to revive the Tongan economy. During the past three years the economy has experienced negative growth, a decline which is expected to continue unless an aggressive revival program is put into place soon. Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 13, no. 2, July 1998.