Tongan government restricts election broadcasts

Updated April 11, 2008 05:14:58

Prime Minister Dr Fred Seveli chairs the TBC board which will review all political advertisments. [AFP]

There's been international criticism of the new restrictions on political reporting by the country's national broadcaster.

The government of Tonga says journalists employed by the Tongan Broadcasting Commission do not have the skills to conduct a political interview.

The government has forced the broadcaster to remove a series of paid political announcements from its schedule, less than two weeks before elections.

The move has been labelled censorship by some candidates.

Tonga's information minister Afualo Matoto says candidates were using the broadcasts to make unfounded allegations and claims.

"Staff of Tonga Broadcasting who are conducting the interview, are not able to correct the erroneous information that comes out," Mr Matoto said.

The Pacific Island News Association president Joe Ealeadona says the Tongan government must not interfere with the TBC, and he's defended its journalists.

"It's not for politicians to say that.

"I don't know where they're coming from," Mr Ealeadona said.

The Times of Tonga publisher, Kalafi Moala, says there are good reasons for taking the election ads off air in their current form.

"The particular journalist that's doing the interviewing is not really doing his or her job as a journalist, basically a public relations officer. Basically, asking the questions that have already been pre-arranged and the candidates responding."

All political advertisements must now be reviewed by the TBC board, which is chaired by the prime minister Dr Fred Seveli, before broadcast.

New Zealand government minister Peter Dunne, who chaired a parliamentary committee into diplomatic relations with Tonga, has described the new restrictions as bizarre.

"I think it's damaging Tonga's image overseas.

"It doesn't give confidence that Tonga is making the transition to democratic elections and democratic government, and I think it's most unfortunate," Mr Dunne said.