By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – A Tonga political party says an interim Parliament should be elected to consider the recommendations for greater democracy compiled by the Constitutional and Electoral Commission.

The Legislative Assembly has been discussing the political reform that Tonga might follow.

The Paati Langfonua Tu’uloa is one of many political parties that called for the recommendations to be endorsed immediately when the Constitutional and Electoral Commission’s report was made public.

However, for the last few weeks there has been much debate about the recommendations in the Assembly. The Cabinet has been pushing for a number of changes.

One possibility the Cabinet suggested is for the House not to take a vote on the Report, as that would be counterproductive at this stage, but to establish a Parliamentary Tri-partite Committee to consider the various possible routes, strive for consensus as much as possible, and then report back to the House next year.

The general secretary of Paati Langfonua Tu’uloa, Kamipeli Tofa, stated that he was “worried that many MPs lack independence of thought and many are motivated by self-interest.”

Tofa stated that the best thing would be for a new Parliament to be put in place under the new electoral rules, and for that body to then consider any other changes which might be necessary.

He further stated: “With seventeen members elected by the people and nine by the nobles and maybe under the existing monarchy because he has made it very clear that he wants no involvement in politics. With that new parliament they can then address some of the issues, or points of difference, that are currently existing in the existing parliament.”

The Prime Minister, Feleti V. Sevele, in his statement regarding the Government’s Roadmap for Political Reform, he said: “Before outlining what Government considers are the milestones that underpin the political roadmap that it believes Parliament and Tonga should follow, it is imperative that our minds are cast back to the beginning stages of the Political Reforms which His Late Majesty started back in 2004.”

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Tongan political party calls for interim measure on reform recommendations – 17 December 2009

Pacific Islands News Association – Tongan political party calls for interim measure on reform recommendations – 17 December 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Tonga political party calls for interim measure on reform recommendations – 17 December 2009

Our Constitution – Government’s Roadmap for Political Reform: Prime Minister’s Statement – 18 December 2009