Questions over relevancy of Tongan constituency meetings Featured
The Royal Oceania Institute's Tevita MotulaloThe Royal Oceania Institute's Tevita Motulalo
20 July, 2017. A political analyst in Tonga says people are questioning the relevancy of the annual parliamentary constituency meetings currently being held.
The nearly two week-long series of meetings end on Friday but the Royal Oceania Institute's Tevita Motulalo said many have had a poor public turnout.
Mr Motulalo said in theory the meetings are an important democratic exercise because they offer the community an official public forum and direct connection with their MPs.
However he said with the advent of social media and issues like infrastructure and jobs continually on the meeting agenda, people are wondering if they are still useful.
"These have been kind of worn out, without particular direct results coming out of it in terms of constituents making submissions in these meetings and then seeing it coming into fruition. That is the challenge, is seeing direct results of their concerns reflected in public policy," said Tevita Motulalo.
The 26 MPs are supposed to report back to parliament on their meetings by the end of next month.
-RNZI
5 comments
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Kou tui 'oku lelei 'ae ngaahi fktaha 'oku hoko, ke ma'u he nau faingamalie ke 'omai he nau fkkaukau kihe kau taki 'oe falealea. Koe 'uhinga 'oku tokosi'i 'ae fktaha niihi, ko tau hanga fktonga moe fk'apa'apa, ke mou sio he na'e 'ikai ke kau mai 'ae kau talavou pe koe kakai fefine talavou.
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Ko e founga fo'ou 'oku ngaue'aki 'e he fakafofonga 'o VV16, 'alu mei he 'api ki he 'api pe 'e ni'ihi 'i he ngaahi kolo. 'Oku 'i ai hono sai ka 'oku toe 'i ai pe mo hono kovi. Neongo ko e founga kemipeini ka 'oku lava ke 'omai tau'ataina 'e he kakai 'oku 'ikai lava 'o lea he tokolahi 'enau fakakaukau. 'I he tafa'aki 'e taha 'oku fakatupu 'ita hono faitaa'i e me'a private 'a e kakai 'o fai'aki e kemipeini he facebook. Ko e me'a malie he ne 'osi takai 'a Lavu ia mo Sita 'o fakataha tokolahi 'i Feletoa mo Ha'alaufuli ko e feinga ke to ange 'a e pa'anga falealea ke fai'aki e folau kumi pa'anga ke langa'aki e fale lalanga, valita e hala mo tufa toilet 'a e na'a ne palomesi e ne 'omai ta'etotongi. He ta koe kuo kilofi 'e he kuli ia 'a e pa'anga falealea. VV16, 'ai pe mo mou sio lelei he mahalo ko e me'a ia kuo fai ai e 'a'ahi fakafo'i 'api ko e manavasi'i na'a 'eke ange pe hoko 'afe 'a e ngaahi fuhinga loi ko eni ke mo'oni. 'E fai foki e fili he 2018 pea 'e ha'u pe ia mo e ngaahi fo'i loi fo'ou he kuo 'ilo 'e he ongo tama ni ia 'a e me'a ke taki'aki 'a e kainga ni. "Na'e le'aki pe foki 'e Lavu ia ko e kainga foki ke taki'aki pe ha kapaika". Neongo foki eni 'oku anga fakalotu 'aupito 'a Vava'u ia. 'Oku nau fa'a fakamolemole mo fakangalo'i vave 'a e Mala'e Fangataongo, hala mei Holonga ki Ha'alaufuli, &2000,000 fakafalealea na'e tukuaki'i kia Sini Nafe etc etc.
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Taimi kemipeini pea tau pahia he'enau 'asi holo he tukui 'api, ngaahi siasi, ngaahi kalapu kavatonga, ngaahi holo fakakolo mo fe fua, pea 'ikai toe ha falekoloa mo ha fu'u pou 'uhila hono fakapipiki ai honau ngaahi ta moe tu'uaki. Nau toe hopo atu 'o fe'auhi pe ko hai 'e lahitaha hono taimi he tv moe letio, pea tau pahia hono malimali'i kitautolu. Hokosia mai e taimi 'a'ahi fakafalealea ia pea hange hano kaipoosi ha 'umu, hono talafakamoulu'i holo e taimi fakataha moe kakai. Pea koe fielau e tokosi'i 'ae ngaahi fakataha koe 'ikai 'ilo 'ehe kakai ia 'oku fai ha fakataha, toki 'ohovale pe kuo ongona mai he letio pe 'asi he tv na'e fai e fakataha moe kakai. Koe ha koaa kuo tau pehee ai kau fakafofonga? Tau mamata me'a malie ha ta'u kaha'u he teu e fili. Me'a eni 'oku ui koe kai pea kui 'osi pea ui. He'ikai pe teu toe fili au ke kau fakaofofnga mo'ui ngalo ko eni.
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Your comment based on blurred data and it should be considered unreasonable. I believe the audience would be happy to read a paper that covers the 17 Constituency attendance yet opinions.
But do you think the poor attendance revealed the poor performance of Akilisi's Government? -
I think it is part of being transparent to voters, that they are given an opportunity to voice their concern. The other side of the coin, is that voters need to be there for the meetings. It is sad to see meetings with only a few, but doesn't that reflect our true Tongan nature; we talk behind people's back, but when they turn up, we say nothing. Totonu ke fakatonutonu 'a e fakakaukau ko ia, pea 'oku 'ikai ke u tui au 'oku totonu ke tokolahi 'a e fakataha kotoa pe, kapau kuo tala, pea ko e me'a 'a kinautolu ke nau me'a mai ki ai.