Tonga: Democracy movement confronts government over reform
Updated
Tonga's pro-democracy movement is preparing to hold demonstrations and engage in civil disobedience in protest at the decision to implement political reform in 2010. A tripartite committee of reform has agreed that under a new system parliament will have 17 MPs elected by the people, nine by the nobles, and four ministers selected by the king. The committee couldn't agree on when to introduce the change, so the decision was made by Parliament, which voted to implement the changes in 2010. Pro-democracy Movement leader and MP, Akilisi Pohiva, says his group wants it to happen in time for next year's election.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Tongan pro-democracy Movement leader and MP, Akilisi Pohiva
Tonga's pro-democracy movement is preparing to hold demonstrations and engage in civil disobedience in protest at the decision to implement political reform in 2010.
A tripartite committee of reform has agreed that under a new system parliament will have 17 MPs elected by the people, nine by the nobles, and four ministers selected by the king.
The committee couldn't agree on when to introduce the change, so the decision was made by Parliament, which voted to implement the changes in 2010.
Pro-democracy Movement leader and MP, Akilisi Pohiva, told Bruce Hill that his group wants it to happen in time for next year's election.
CART:A2643
IN:That division will continue on...
ENDS:...in our Parliament to continue on.
DUR: 3:50
Tongan pro-democracy Movement leader and MP, Akilisi Pohiva, speaking to Bruce Hill.
POHIVA; That division will continue to on until we come back to parliament on the 25th October. So between now and the 25th October, we hope that the government may change their position between now and the 25th, our committee, Peoples Committee for Political Reform will take peaceful actions and demonstration just to show the government our discontent to the stubbornness and failure on the part of the government to compromise.
HILL: Are you able to actually do that legally, because Tonga is under emergency restrictions at the moment and people can't actually gather and demonstrate as normal?
POHIVA: Well, it is a matter for government to put up, but our committee has decided to go along with peaceful demonstrations which of course part of the process. There's no other way, but to just to show to government our discontent about the way, about how government reacted, responded to the will of the people.
HILL: Demonstrations are illegall under the emergency regulations, are you going to defy the emergency regulations?
POHIVA: What we are going to make sure that we carry out our actions in a peaceful manner and without weapons. And we will try to make sure that we will carry out all our action and demonstration in a peaceful way, which is of course we may call them civil disobedience actions.
HILL: Didn't you have what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration on November 16th last year. What happened with that?
POHIVA: We had a meeting like yesterday night and we emphasised to the people that we do not want any violence. Anyone who doesn't want a peaceful demonstration is not welcome, is not acceptable in all the actions we are going to demonstrate.
HILL: The tripatite committee decided that the parliament would be more representative and have more members of parliament belonging to the people and fewer appointed by the king. The only differences really seems to be that parliament wants it in 2010 and your committee wants it next year. Aren't you just arguing about the date?
POHIVA: Well as I said earlier, because of the failure of the government to cooperate and to accept the idea or the spirit of give and take or compromise, we had to come back. There is no other choice for us. We had to come back to the recommendations of the National Committee for Political Reform chaired by the late Tuipelehake.
Unfortunately, if we allow the existing form of government to continue on for one or two years, injustice will ... allow at the same time injustices, injustice and imbalance in our parliament to continue on.
