Actions of Tonga's Prime Minister have been 'disgraceful and hypocritical' and it's time for him to step down with grace Featured
Barbara Dreaver 1 NEWS Pacific Correspondent and Prime Minister of Tonga 'Akilisi Pohiva
Opinion: Actions of Tonga's Prime Minister have been 'disgraceful and hypocritical' and it's time for him to step down with grace: Barbara Dreaver 1 NEWS Pacific Correspondent
When I first met Akilisi Pohiva many years ago he had the courage of a lion.
A pro-democracy activist, he bucked against the almost absolute rule in the Kingdom, doing prison time in his struggle for democracy and freedom of speech.
To many ordinary Tongans he was a hero, to the ruling royals and nobles a threat.
But there was no doubt his intentions were because he loved his country.
So skip to today and Akilisi Pohiva is the Prime Minister of a Kingdom that’s still trying to find its feet politically.
It’s a country that has serious economic and social problems.
A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT
But Mr Pohiva has so far proven to be a huge disappointment and for those of us who follow Tongan politics closely his recent actions have been bewildering to say the least.
His recent sacking of Tonga Broadcasting’s manager Nanise Fifita because he thinks the Government funded broadcaster should back Government policies and he didn’t like how they questioned him is disgraceful and hypocritical, particularly given freedom of speech is a platform he has got mileage out of over the years.
Used to being held in high regard as a pro-democracy leader, he has had trouble adjusting to being rightfully challenged as an elected leader.
Other issues are also troubling. Like wanting to amend the Constitution so top roles like Police Commissioner and Attorney General are appointed by cabinet.
Essentially the police would answer to the Minister – who happens to be his son-in-law.
The Prime Minister has been accused of making a mockery of the parliamentary system after ignoring due process. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Its clear Mr Pohiva is not a well man – in a press conference he got confused over a question and started talking about a completely different topic and only came back on topic after a whispered conversation with his advisor.
This confusion is worrying officials – both locally and internationally.
Last year he told me he would not be standing for re-election next year but has told others he is now considering it. He shouldn’t. It time to bow out gracefully before any more damage is done
-TVNZ
27 comments
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Masi'i poasi, koe me'a ia 'oku ou lama pea kou fu'u laiki 'aupito au ki ai. Ka koe pango he'ikai fili ha taha ia 'ia au na'a ta'aki e mo'oni ki 'olunga. Sai'ia pe nautolu hono tanu fakataha e mo'oni moe veve 'I Tukutonga.
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'alu foki koe mark o fili fale alea oku ke debate a'u ee auaa siolalo kiaiii
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'Oku 'ikai ke 'iai ha me'a koe sio lalo he paenga ni. Koe le'aki 'e mo'oni mo 'ete fakakaukau. Mou talamai pe koe loi hono talaatu 'oku 'ikai loloto e 'ilo fikalao 'ae kau fakafofonga falealea 'e ni'ihi? koe fu'u fo'i mo'oni ta'ele'eia ia, and it is a fact. 'Oku tau toe loloa koe toe takolosi holo he vao kae 'ikai 'alu hangatonu. 'Oku fiema'u ha kakai 'ilo lahi mo taukei ke nau fakalele hotau fonua. Ko ena kuo tau 'osi sio kia Lavu mo 'ene to'onga kakaa moe ta'efaitotonu moe 'ai'ai noa'ia. Pea tuku e lau ia kihe lea ta'eufi, he 'oku te'eki ke ofi ha lea ta'eufi ia mo ha lea fieme'a ki he fa'a kaikaila ta'efaka'apa'apa 'ae palemia ko eni. Ta koena 'oku nau 'ilo 'oku kataki'ingata'a e lea fefeka mo hangatonu ka koeha na'a nau fa'a kotoko ta'etokai'i holo ai. Pea 'e 'ikai fie toka'i atu mo fie faka'apa'aopa'i 'eha taha ha palemia lea fieme'a, ta'etokai'i, ta'efieauna,ta'e'ofa mo mo'ui ngalo. Ngata pe 'ia 'oni, keti, sima mo pive he ko 'ene kau hitmen pea ko 'enau ngaahi fakakaukau 'oku 'ave kihe palemia ke fakalele'aki e fonua.
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'Oua 'e Fiu, ko e ha leva ha'o lau ki he kotoko 'a e palemia ia he me'a 'a West Papua. Huanoa ha pango'ia mai e kakai e fonua 'i he'ene kotoko mo fakato fua ai eh ?
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Hoiii, me'a fkkauleka mo'oni koe felongo'aki moe kau poto ni. Pea mo'oni pe 'ae fananga 'ae kau leka, " Oku tupunga pe 'etau fa'a hee, koe fe hopo kaki he siakale kehe".
1. Kuo kamata ke ha mai 'ae me'a koe Afungi, lau ako, sio lalo moe tae fkapaapa moe sio pe ki hoto kita ?
2. kuo tau hee mei he Kaveinga talanoa 'ae Papalangi, fie lea taeufi mo fiemata mu'a ki hotau Palemia 'o Tonga.......
3.kae kehe, koe me'a malie ketau ilo 'ae ng loto 'oe kau Tama ni, koe loto 'oku kovi, koe anga 'oku palaku moe ha fua 'ae ng faiteunga moe fkalinga kehekehe oku nau fai, ka koe matamata lelei fkfonua loto pe...........
4. Totonu ke creat ha'amou ki'i pasina fo'ou ke fkaliali ai ho'omou loto kae tukuange 'ae topic ni ke talanoa'i ke 'au kihe tatapa holo 'ae faiongoongo muli hotau fonua ni...
5.Ai aaa, pea fksi'isi'i 'ae AFUNGI he kuo ma'amaaa ae Tonga kotoa. -
Ngali ta'e lotu e post ia a Mark mo meimei siolalo. 'E feke'aki e ngaahi profession pe kohai 'oku tonu kene ngaue'i 'a mamani kae ma'u e lelei taha. E tala pe ehe kau Loea ia konautolu pe i mamani oku tikataha pea oku tonu kenau fale alea hange ko e lau a Mark he ko e Loea Tofoa foki. Ka ko hono faka-katoa, oku lotu a Tonga ni pea oku ao-ao tangata mai e Sihova e kakai kehekehe mo honau ngaahi 'elia ki hotau Fale Alea, ko honau tokehekehe 'oku totonu ke 'asi mai ha 'amanaki lelei mei mui.
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Ko e lao 'oku ne falute 'a e me'a kotoa 'i he'etau mo'ui faka'aho. 'Oku 'iai e lao 'o e politiki. 'ekonomika, lotu etc. pea ko e kau loea 'oku nau 'ilo mo taukei he me'a kotoa ko ia. Ko e falealea ko honau tefito'i fatongia ko e fa'u lao, fakamaau'anga ko e faka'uhinga 'a e lao, pule'anga leva ko hono fakahoko 'a e lao (executive), pea ko e fakataha tokoni leva ko honau fatongia leva ko e fale'i 'a e Tu'i.
Ka ko e falealea 'oku 'iai e totonu 'a e taha kotoa ke kanititeiti ki ai. Ko merit 'oku ma'u ia 'e he kau loea he 'oku nau 'ilo pea mahino kiate kinautolu 'a e fatongia he ko honau mala'e ia pea 'oku kehekehe ai e merit mo e popularity. Ko e popularity 'oku uho ia 'o e he fili fakatemokalati pea ko e 'uhinga ia 'oku fa'a 'oange ai e mafai 'o ha palemia ke ne fili mei tu'a ko e 'uhi ko e merit eg ko hono fili 'o Dr 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki. Ko e me'a ia ne tau hilio he pasifiki he ngaahi ta'u ki mu'a he ko 'etau kau minisita na'a nau ma'u e merit. Ko e 'uhinga ia kuo tau tu'ulu pehe ai mo 'alu punou he ngaahi fakataha fakavaha'a puleanga ko e ngaue 'a e popularity. 'Ikai ngata ai ka kuo to 'alu hifo 'etau kau minisita ia 'o ngaue faka CEO - tanuhala mo hiko veve. Kaekehe ko hotau loto pe foki. -
Ko e lao 'oku ne falute 'a e me'a kotoa 'i he'etau mo'ui faka'aho. 'Oku 'iai e lao 'o e politiki. 'ekonomika, lotu etc. pea ko e kau loea 'oku nau 'ilo mo taukei he me'a kotoa ko ia. Ko e falealea ko honau tefito'i fatongia ko e fa'u lao, fakamaau'anga ko e faka'uhinga 'a e lao, pule'anga leva ko hono fakahoko 'a e lao (executive), pea ko e fakataha tokoni leva ko honau fatongia leva ko e fale'i 'a e Tu'i.
Ka ko e falealea 'oku 'iai e totonu 'a e taha kotoa ke kanititeiti ki ai. Ko merit 'oku ma'u ia 'e he kau loea he 'oku nau 'ilo pea mahino kiate kinautolu 'a e fatongia he ko honau mala'e ia pea 'oku kehekehe ai e merit mo e popularity. Ko e popularity 'oku uho ia 'o e he fili fakatemokalati pea ko e 'uhinga ia 'oku fa'a 'oange ai e mafai 'o ha palemia ke ne fili mei tu'a ko e 'uhi ko e merit eg ko hono fili 'o Dr 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki. Ko e me'a ia ne tau hilio he pasifiki he ngaahi ta'u ki mu'a he ko 'etau kau minisita na'a nau ma'u e merit. Ko e 'uhinga ia kuo tau tu'ulu pehe ai mo 'alu punou he ngaahi fakataha fakavaha'a puleanga ko e ngaue 'a e popularity. 'Ikai ngata ai ka kuo to 'alu hifo 'etau kau minisita ia 'o ngaue faka CEO - tanuhala mo hiko veve. Kaekehe ko hotau loto pe foki. -
'Oku FA'ULAO 'a e FALEALEA (Legislative), FAKAPAASILAO / FAKAMO'ONILAO 'a e FAKATAHATOKONI (Executive) pea FAKAHOKOLAO 'a e FAKAMAAU'ANGA (Judiciary) 'aia koe vahelalahi 'e tolu ia 'o e mafai ke tau'ataina hono fai honau ngaahi tefito'i fatongia kehekehe takitaha ke ma'u 'a e maau, melino mo e fiefia he FONUA.
Neongo 'oku taha 'a e fatongia / ngaue kehekehe takitaha 'a e ngaahi kupU 'e tolu ni he LAO ka tau manatu (fakataha mo e kau loea) 'oku fa'u'aki 'a e LAO 'o e politki, 'ikonomika, fefakatau'aki, kelekele, lotu, ako, ngoue, toutai, lea MO E HA FUA 'o e FONUA pea 'oku kau mo e ngaahi me'a ko ia he mahu'inga ke 'ilo ki ai (mo poto ai) 'a e kau Fakafofonga Falealea (kau ai mo e kau loea) ka e 'ikai ko e LAO (mo e kau loea) 'ata'ata pe.
'Oku to e mahu'inga ke mahino ko e LAO ko e ME'ANGAUE pe 'oku ngaue'aki ke ha'i'aki fakataha 'a e FONUA 'o kau ai 'a e me'a kotoa hange kuo u lave ki ai 'i 'olunga kau fakataha atu ki ai moe mitia / faiongongo, koloa tukufakaholo, tahi, falekoloa, hala pule'anga, maketi MO E HA FUA. -
Mo'oni e lau 'a Loea Nalesoni Tupou. Koe Fale Alea koe fale fa'ulao pea 'oku fiema'u kiai e kakai 'oku nau taukei he lao mo loloto 'enau 'ilo ki he lao. Tau sio he 'aho ni ki he kau fale alea ko eni koe tokolahi taha koe fa'ahinga ne 'ikai fu'u a'u fefe 'enau ako pea 'oku lele ta'ea'u pehe ai pe 'enau tipeiti. Tatau pe moe pule'anga, 'oku fiema'u e fa'ahinga 'oku nau taukei mo mahino kia kinautlu e founga ngaue 'ae pule'anga.
'Ilonga 'aupito he kau tohi he fale ni e fa'ahinga 'oku 'ikai ke a'u 'enau mahino mo 'enau 'ilo kihe ngaahi founga ngaue 'ae pule'anga, pea koe me'a 'oku hoko ko 'enau mafili pe 'o patatoo hange ha'anau lea honau peito. Mou 'ofa mai, ki'i fai ha faka'eke'eke mo ha research pea toki lea. 'Oua 'e tafoki pe 'o fakanfala noa'ia he 'oku 'asi mai ai e me'a koe ta'e'ilo, ta'emahino, ta'emaa'usia moe kaaimu'a., Mo'oni 'aupito e tau'ataiina e tokotaha kotoa ke lea ki he'ene fakakaukau, kae 'ai ke tonu mo kakano lelei pea faingofua leva e felafoaki moe fevahevahe'aki.