Tonga Deserves Better Featured
Editor,
If the Cabinet Minister Lavulavu was an ordinary Tongan public servant, he would have been arrested by the Police and charged with corruption and other criminal offences. But because he is a minister of the Crown, the Prime Minister of Tonga, ‘Akilisi Pohiva, together with his cabinet and his followers, voted to set him free.
The most alarming thing about the 12 members of parliament who voted to set their friend free is that the Finance Minister, for example, had said that ‘there is a case to answer’ yet there he was voting against the impeachment. The Prime Minister, according to reports from Parliament, had wanted to deal with Lavulavu but what he does not realise is that within just 10 months of his taking office, most of us Tongans in Tonga and abroad have lost our trust in his leadership. He is a man with so many different faces and the most prominent mask on public display at the moment is nepotism. There is nothing more revolting in democratic society than a nepotistic public figure who proactively promotes his own brood whilst in a position of trust.
Not so long ago, the same members of parliament voted to legalise nepotism. And now they strike the people of Tonga again with their misguided allegiance to their friend. They have all deserted the moral code of good governance in order to cover up criminal offences being committed in high office; but in doing so, they work against the people who voted them into parliament, against the King and country, against Law and Order and worst of all, against the principles of democracy which they used to get themselves elected during the last election.
On the 22nd October 2015, the deputy prime minister of Vanuatu, Moana Carcasses, was sentenced to four years in jail for bribery and corruption, joining 13 other MPs — or half of the nation's government - in prison. Vanuatu democracy has progressed to a much higher level than some of her neighbours including Tonga. It is a sign of a civilised democratic society which possesses a clear understanding of what good governance is all about.
The Ministry of Infrastructure officials who brought the petition to parliament must now take their case to Court. Don’t be afraid of PM ‘Akilisi Pohiva and his friend Lavulavu, they are only in power for a limited period of time, but Tonga and her people will be there till the end of time. Tonga deserves better.
Faka’apa’apa atu,
Senolita Swan
6 comments
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'oku 'ikai pe toe 'iai ha me'a kehe ia 'a 'Akilisi 'e fai koe fakamaaulau pe, he ko hono va'a mo'ui ia, koe a'u e kihe popoaki kilisimasi 'oku kei fai ai pe fakamaaulau. Fefe ke tuku atu e ngaahi tukuaki'i ia 'oe pule'anga motu'a ki he tafa'aki kae feinga a PM ia ke 'uluaki fufulu e fu'u kinoha'a fulikivanu ko eni 'oku lolotonga fai 'e hono pule'anga. Ko 'ene me'atau tu'ukimu'a ia ko hono ta'aki hake ha kovi 'aha taha ke fakatonuhia'i'aki 'ene palaku 'a'ana. Me'a eni 'oku ui 'ehe kau tautoitoi ko hono "create ha diversion" ke tafoki ki ai e tokanga 'ae kakai tokua ke ki'i puli atu ai 'enau ngaahi fu'u pango ko eni 'oku lolotonga longoa'a ai e fonua. Ka koe 'atunga pe foki ia e kakai kovi mo tonounou fakavesitapolo, koe fakamaaulau lau pe moe fakalangalau.
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Na'e toutou lele'i mai 'i he uike kuo'osi 'a e popoaki faka kilisimasi 'a e Palemia 'aia ko'ene fakamatala 'enau ngaahi gaue ne lava i he ta'u ni. 'Ikai mu'a ke tuku atu ke fakamatala'i mai 'e ha taha 'ete meimei sai. Kaekehe, na'a ku nofo 'o tatali keu sio ki ha langa fonua, koeha ha fa'ahinga project na'e fokotu'u 'e he Pule'anga ke fakangaue'i ai 'a e kakai. 'Aia 'oku ou fakama'opo'opo 'o 'ilo ne nau omai 'o lele'i 'a e ngaahi project na'e 'osi palani'i mei he Pule'anga motu'a. Pea ko e me'a ne mamafa kiai 'enau ngaue ko e fakatotolo'i 'o ha me'a ke fakapapau'i 'enau mahalokovi 'oku tonu, pea mo tulitonuhia'i ha'anau fehalaaki 'oku lolotonga hoko.
Koia ai Kainga Tonga, 'oua te tau ngaue, tau nofo 'o sio pe ko 'etau fehapekaki koeni koeha hono loloa? Kohai 'e mate ko hai 'e mo'ui?
Fakatauange ketau ma'u ha ta'u fo'ou monu'ia. -
Fangaloto, na'e kau foki 'a e ngaahi fakamatala 'a e PM he Falaite he toe tafutafu e 'ita 'a e kakai, he ko e 'ai ai e talamai e me'a kehe ne me'a 'aki e Eke he 'aho Tu'apulelulu mo e 'ikai ke mahino mai pe koeha koaa e tautea 'e fakahoko.
Pea ko e fo'i 'ai koena ke tukuange mai kenau toe fakamatala ko e toe tafunaki ai pe loto hoha'a 'a e kakai he 'e 'osi e loi mo e loi 'a mamani hono tua'i mai. Ko'enau me'a pe 'oku fai he lele atu ko eni ko e fakatuputau, tenau faito'o fefee'i e ngaahi loto 'oku taangia he me'a ne nau fakahoko? -
Fefe kapau e ki'i 'asi mai a Vuna, Mateni mo 'Aisake 'Eke o 'omai ha fakamatala fekau'aki mo e fakakaukau ko ia ke nau maatu'aki fakata'e'aonga'i e liipooti nenau kau hono fkamo'oni'i mai ai e faihala, ka nau paloti fakakengi ke fakafepaki'i?
Si'i faka'ofa a Lavulavu mo e too-'a-lo'imata he kuo mahino ne si'i hala hono alasi e fo'i fatongia foki. Kaikehe, 'amusia mu'a a Vava'u he kei ma'u ha fakafofonga peheni - fakafofonga 'oku 'ofa he kakai - tukukehe pe maumau'i ia e lao, hangee ko e lau ‘a Samuela - tuku e lao ia ki he tafa'aki - mahu'inga ena ia kuo tafe ha ki'i lo'imata pea to e ifo atu e malava ke fanongo atu a Vava’u ki ai he letioo. Ko e Ifo atu ka ko e toe ifo.
Tukunoa'i pe si'i toenga ia e fonua - mou ma'u pe ha fiefia mei 'api he ko ena kuo fakmahino’i mai he’e kau tama ni 'oku kei faka-Konisitutone pe hono fakahaofi e faihala.
Malie atu fau. -
Amen Kiai Sifa...
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This is a very good letter you have produced Ms. Swan and I thank you for providing your independent view. You have provided other measure which was used by Vanuatu against their MPs and that's what we should do next. I understood from comment made by 'Siaafafine' to proceed with judicial review but that will take another long process. I am thinking of two options;
1. Mr. Loni Uata (Civil Servant) of Ministry of Infrastructure Vava'u the complainant who lodged complain to Parliament through Lord Tu'ilakepa - to lodge his complain through Ministry of Police to seek justice. As there is a case to be answered by Lavulavu.
2. Lord Tu'ivakano with the 9 Members that voted for impeachment to submit application to the King with the 'House Minute' of the ballot to dissolve the Parliament for miscarriage of Justice. This will bring back the public trust to the Parliament of Tonga.
WE NEED A NEW GOVERNMENT.