Politics
Tonga's Pro-Democracy Movement Calls for Reforms
But King Taufa'ahau has resisted move
Tonga's pro-democracy movement will urge the deeply conservative kingdom¹s entrenched monarchist government to accept reforms to replace a legislative assembly in which monarchists now outnumber elected members by 21 to nine. The proposal is for the moving of the present legislature's nine noble members to an upper house, while a new lower House of Commoners would have 21 fully elected members, Lopeti Senituli, secretary of the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement (HRDM) told Pacific Magazine. Legislation would need the approval of both houses of parliament.
Speaking after an election which Senituli said showed the clear desire of Tonga's 58,000 "commoner" voters for a democratic system of government, he said the reforms would give the 83-year-old monarch, King Taufa'ahau Tupou, free choice in appointing a prime minister and a cabinet for the combined 30 members of both new houses of parliament.
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"At least that would be a move forward to a more democratic government,"
Senituli said. The Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement plans to formally float its plan when the new legislature meets in May.
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The legislature's present structure is 12 members, including the prime minister and all cabinet ministers, appointed by the king; nine nobles and nine elected commoners. The prime minister is one of the king's 12 MPs and is presently his youngest son, Prince OUlukalala Lavaka OAta, who is 43. King Taufa'ahau has personally resisted pressure for a fully democratic government, which he claims his people are not ready for.
The Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement does not regard itself as a political party and does formally endorse electioneering politicians. In voting on March 7 for the nine commoner seats in the present legislature, Senituli said six Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement supporters won seats and a seventh MP was talking to the movement about joining it.
The level of Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement support in the new legislature was "about the same" in terms of numbers in the previous parliament, which had seven supporters. But voting trends showed definite growing support for the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement, Senituli said. "I think the government is very surprised by the level of support for us." For the first time the movement's supporters had won all three commoner seats for Tongatapu, the seat of government.
Tongatapu MPs include veteran pro-democracy politician OAkilisi Pohiva, returned with a substantially increased majority; one of Tonga's most important businessmen, Fred Sevele, a member of the executive and outspoken critic of government's economic policies; and OIsilelei Pulu, elected to parliament for the first time and one of four people facing charges of alleged forgery relating to a letter, purportedly from an official in the king's office, indicating that King Taufa'ahau had a personal private fortune exceeding US$350 million banked overseas.
Many Tongans live in poverty, or close to it.
The Royal Palace denied that the king had such wealth. After the arrests Senituli apologised to the monarch for what he said had been shown to be a forgery.
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Senituli said that in view of the damage the forgery affair had inflicted on the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement's credibility, he was gratified by the electoral support for the movement.
He was also encouraged by the three new noble MPs, Tonga's 33 noble families had chosen in an election among themselves.
"They are all very good guys and supportive of the change," he said. One is Prince Tui'pelehake, the king's nephew, who, said Senituli, was "very approachable" and "very conversant with what the people are saying".
The letter detailing the king's alleged wealth appeared in January in Kele'a, a political pamphlet produced by Pohiva.
In the week before the election, Pohiva was taken in by the police for questioning, but later released. However, Pulu, who resigned as the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement treasurer to contest the election, was charged with forgery and Pohiva's daughter, a journalist, faces a related charge. The editor of the Time of Tonga, Mateni Tapueluelu, faces a charge of defaming the king.
The weeks before the election saw the emergence of a Royalist political group, Kotoa (OTogether') which was formed late last year as a movement. It plans to become a political party and has as its patron the king's powerful eldest daughter, Princess Pilolevu, said by some Tongans to have become the real power behind the throne.
