As Tonga’s 26 newly elected representatives turn to choosing a prime minister among them, one potential candidate is identifying economic development and raising the standard of living as necessary priorities for the next government and its leader.

Lord Fakafanua was re-elected as a nobles’ representative for Ha’apai in last week’s general election.

He spoke to RNZ Pacific after the results were announced and outlined a range of areas he believed Tonga’s next prime minister and cabinet needed to focus on.

“There are a few low-hanging fruits available to Tonga, a few policy decisions that we don’t have to spend taxpayers’ money on — they can immediately show dividends and improve people’s lives, and especially lower the cost of living,” Fakanua said.

“In the last few weeks, we’ve experienced a shortage of fuel, and I think a lot of people will be looking towards how a new government will handle energy security and [consistency of] supplies that people are getting the services that they require from the government.

“And there’s always the issue of unemployment and job opportunities.”

Fakafanua, who has held the position of Parliament’s Speaker since 2017, would not explicitly confirm whether he wanted to be prime minister, but also said he was not excluding himself from the race.

Experience as Speaker
Speaking to RNZ Pacific, he drew on his experience as Speaker when asked about his regional ambitions should he become prime minister.

“I don’t want to pre-empt anything right now, but I just have to say that if given the opportunity, I think it would be important for the Pacific to stand as a unit, especially in this polarised world.

“There are certain priorities that the Pacific holds dear, and climate change is one of them. And of course, that’s something that us in the Pacific hold as an existential threat.

“So something like that is a commonality that we can find working together would prove very beneficial, not just for Tonga, but also for the region.”

Currently, the country is under a caretaker government as negotiations between the newly elected representatives take place for a prime minister. Once a prime minister is selected, they go on to pick a cabinet for approval, and appointment by the King.

Fakafanua was among the nine nobles who won a seat in the election, while caretaker prime minister Dr Aisake ‘Eke and his predecessor Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni were among the 17 people’s representatives elected.

Both ‘Eke and Hu’akavameiliku, alongside Fakafanua, have been touted as potential prime ministers for the next four-year parliamentary term. RNZ has requested interviews with ‘Eke and Hu’akavameiliku.

Another potential candidate
Meanwhile, another nobles’ representative — Lord Tu’ivakano — has also been flagged as a potential candidate for prime minister. Tu’ivakano is a former speaker and was also the first prime minister following Tonga’s 2010 constitutional reforms.

Fellow noble Lord Vaea told Pacific Media News he believed a noble as prime minister would provide stability for the government and country that had been lacking under prime ministers who were peoples’ representatives.

“It’s time to have a noble in,” Vaea said.

“Over the last four elections, PMs have had great difficulties controlling, that’s why I recommend that we go back in with the nobility.”

But not everyone is convinced.

Teisa Pohiva, the daughter of the late pro-democracy movement leader and prime minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, has warned Tongans to be wary of a potential shift in power back to the nobility and monarchy.

“It’s as if slowly they’re coming back for the executive powers of the country, something that we’ve fought for so long for the people to be given the authority to run the country, the executive powers with due consultation with the monarchy, with His Majesty,” Pohiva said in an interview with PMN.

Crown Prince influence
She highlighted the position the Crown Prince held in ‘Eke’s government as both minister for foreign affairs and defence. He was appointed to ‘Eke’s cabinet as a minister outside of parliament. Under the constitution, the prime minister is permitted to appoint up to four ministers in this capacity.

“Personally, I would urge the representatives of the people, whoever is elected into Parliament, to stand together, try and put the differences aside and stand together and keep the prime minister position within the people,” Pohiva said.

“There’s nothing more important for us but performance and accountability to the people of Tonga.”

Under the current system, only nobles vote towards their nine representatives to Parliament, while the general public have a separate election process that results in the 17 peoples’ representatives.

Both voting processes take place on the same day and make up the general election.

The setup was implemented through the 2010 constitutional reforms which increased the number of people’s representatives in the legislative assembly from nine to 17.

Prior to that, the balance of power in the executive branch sat with the nobles, the King and his Privy Council, with the number of people’s representatives set at just nine.

For now, Tonga’s newly elected 26 representatives will be discussing who they believe would be best to lead. They will vote for the position by secret ballot, which must be won by a majority.

Under the constitution, the vote will be repeated if no one gains a majority, with the candidate who wins the least number of votes eliminated from the next round.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Its official. Samoa’s Parliament will be dissolved next week and the country will have an early return to the polls.

The confirmation comes after a dramatic day in Parliament on Tuesday, which saw the government’s budget voted down at its first reading.

In a live address today, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa confirmed the dissolution of Parliament.

“Upon the adjournment of Parliament yesterday, I met with the Head of State and tendered my advice to dissolve Parliament,” she said.

Fiame said that advice was accepted, and the Head of State has confirmed that the official dissolution of Parliament will take place on Tuesday, June 3.

According to Samoa’s constitution, an election must be held within three months of parliament being dissolved.

Fiame reassured the public that constitutional arrangements are in place to ensure the elections are held lawfully and smoothly.

Caretaker mode
In the meantime, she said the government would operate in caretaker mode with oversight on public expenditure.

“There are constitutional provisions governing the use of public funds by a caretaker government,” she said.

“Priority will be given to ensuring that the machinery of government continues to function.”

She also took a moment to thank the public for their prayers and support during this time.

Despite the political instability, Fiame said Samoa’s 63rd Independence Day celebrations would proceed as planned.

The official programme begins with a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, June 1, at 6pm at Muliwai Cathedral.

This will be followed by a flag-raising ceremony on Monday, June 2, in front of the Government Building at Eleele Fou.

The dissolution of Parliament brings to an end months of political instability which began in January.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The president of Vanuatu has dissolved the country’s Parliament just over halfway through the current four-year-term.

President Nikenike Vurobaravu signed the instrument for the dissolution of Parliament this afternoon on the eve of a proposed motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Bob Loughman that was to have been tabled tomorrow morning.

The now caretaker Prime Minister Loughman, who requested the dissolution, has welcomed the president’s decision and called on all Vanuatu citizens to respect it.

The national broadcaster in Vanuatu is reporting that the president Nikenike Vurobaravu has signed an instrument for the dissolution of parliament and copies of the signed document are circulating online.https://t.co/0Zh028z8pv

— RNZ Pacific (@RNZPacific) August 18, 2022

RNZ Pacific was still trying to reach the former opposition leader Ralph Regenvanu but in a statement on social media he said they would be challenging the president’s decision in court.

“The President of the Republic has dissolved Parliament on the advice of the Council of Ministers just hours before a scheduled motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister in an Extraordinary Parliamentary session called by the majority of Members. The majority of Members will be challenging this dissolution in court. – in Port-Vila,” Ralph Regenvanu posted on the Vanuatu opposition’s official Facebook page.

However, caretaker Prime Minister Loughman is already in campaign mode saying by law they must hold an election in not less than 30 days but also not more than 60 days time.

“My responsibility and that of my ministers [is] to make sure that we run and we conduct an election for the people of this country to elect their new representatives to represent them in Parliament,” he said.

“I had made an appeal earlier on that when it comes to selecting candidates, I appealed to all the communities to nominate and elect reputable leaders that have the qualities to lead this country.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The two-week extension on the return of Papua New Guinea’s general election writs date has been knocked as unconstitutional.

A former Chief Justice, Sir Arnold Amet, said there were no provisions in the Constitution for any extension of writs beyond the fifth anniversary of the date fixed for the return of the writs, which was yesterday — July 29.

He said also that there were no constitutional provisions for a caretaker government to continue beyond this date.

Sir Arnold’s stance came as uncertainty surrounded the extension of the deadline for return of writs to August 12.

The extension sought by Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai was granted by Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae this week because electoral officials in more than half of the country’s 118 electorates had yet to complete counting and declare members of the new Parliament.

Government House has indicated the instrument for gazetting of the extension was signed on Tuesday, but by yesterday there was no formal notice of this.

According to Secretary for Department of Justice and Attorney-General Dr Eric Kwa, the fifth anniversary for the 10th Parliament fell yesterday – July 29.

Sir Arnold’s view
Said Sir Arnold: “And so if July 29, 2022 is the date originally fixed for the return of the writs, as being nearly as may reasonably be to the fifth anniversary of the date fixed for the return of the writs for the previous general election, which according to the 2017 calendar is July 28, then that is in sufficient compliance with the Constitution and Organic Law.

“The originally scheduled time and date for the calling of the first meeting of Parliament pursuant to the Constitution section 124 (1) and the Organic Law on Calling of Parliament for Thursday. August 4, 2022, was consistent with the ‘anniversary of the term of Parliament’.

“The extension of date for the return of writs to August 12 2022, to now extend the time for the return of the writs, as advised by the Head of State, acting on advice of the Electoral Commission, would now require the time and date to be fixed for the first meeting of Parliament to be ‘not more than seven days’ after August 12, 2022, which if not already fixed and advised shall be Thursday August 18 2022.”

Sir Arnold said the potential constitutional implications of this extension were that it:

• Took the date fixed for the return of the writs to beyond the “as nearly as may reasonably be to the fifth anniversary of the date fixed for the return of the writs for the previous general election” by 15 days;
• Took the term of office of the current members of Parliament, also 15 days, beyond the normal term of office of five years;
• Extended the life of the current term of Parliament beyond the five years by 15 days to the return of writs and 21 days to the calling of the first meeting of Parliament, possibly on August 18, 2022.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz