'No democracy in Tonga without a fight'

'No democracy in Tonga without a fight'

One of Tonga's royal-appointed ministers has warned that it is unrealistic to expect that the South Pacific island kingdom's nobles would hand over power to the people without a fight.

Minister without portfolio Ma'afu Tuku'i'aulahi was reacting to calls for greater democracy. In an interview in the magazine Matangi Tonga, Ma'afu said he was angered by suggestions that nobles should be taken out of Tonga's Legislative Assembly.

The Legislative Assembly comprises 12 ministers appointed for life by the king, nine nobles elected by 30 nobles and nine commoner members to represent the people.

Meanwhile, on March 30 pro-democracy MP and newspaper publisher 'Akilisi Pohiva was found guilty of defamation against the speaker of the assembly.

The Tongan Supreme Court ordered Pohiva to pay US$7000 in damages. Radio Tonga says this is the highest defamation award ever made in the kingdom.

Pohiva and his newspaper, Kela'a, have been a thorn in the side of Tonga's authoritarian elite for many years. The latest defamation action is one of four pending against the pro-democracy leader.

Another pro-democracy parliamentarian, 'Uhila Liava'a, says the government's proceedings against Kela'a threaten press freedom and freedom of expression in general.

Pohiva is the most prosecuted person in Tonga's history.

[From Pacnews News Service via Pegasus.]

From GLW issue 95