Tongan PM defends emergency regulations remaining in force

Updated November 18, 2008 17:06:26

Tonga's pro-democracy movement is angry that emergency regulations imposed after the devastating 2006 riot in the capital, Nukualofa, are still in effect two years later. The regulations only last for 30 days, but the government has voted to renew them each month since the November 2006 political unrest which saw much of the capital's central business district destroyed by fire. One pro-democracy MP says the regulations threaten the process of political reform, which is scheduled to lead to elections in 2010 for a more representative Parliament.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Tongan prime minister, Dr Fred Sevele; Tongan pro-democracy Movement MP Clive Edwards

BRUCE HILL: A constitution and electoral commission has been set up to consider the composition of the new parliament, which is expected to see a majority of commoner MPs for the first time. At the moment, parliament is dominated by nobles and MPs selected by the King. The names of the five commissioners are expected to be known by the end of the week. Prime Minister Fred Seveli says the continuing use of emergency regulations is necessary under the circumstances.

PRIME MINISTER FRED SEVELI: These are there mainly to ensure that the people, particularly those in town whose properties were lost and lives were lost, feel comfortable; that their safety is top-most in the working of the security forces. We don't have soldiers running around. They are there if the police force require the assistance of the defence services, they can call on them. And there have been petitions from people, particularly those in town areas that were devastated, asking that this be maintained.

BRUCE HILL: But pro-democracy movement MP Clive Edwards disagrees with the Prime Minister.

CLIVE EDWARDS: I consider that statement to be quite highly improper because the emergency regulation and the laws on the emergency situation, allows the emergency - the state of emergency - to come into play and suspend the ordinary law if there has been a considerable disorder in the country, and to prevent that disorder or to restore it. Now, that disorder has occurred, over two years ago, and it's been fully restored. The way that they've allowed this state of emergency to exist is obnoxious and, in fact, offensive. We are living under a rule of the military doing anything to us. They can arrest a person and hold them for six days without having to give any reason.

BRUCE HILL: Has that happened?

CLIVE EDWARDS: No, that hasn't happened but that's the reason why they're leaving it there - so that nobody can speak out. I think it's high time that Australia and New Zealand express some dissatisfaction with the way things have been done over here instead of supporting the regime to do what they want to do, and they do it in a dictatorial manner, as they are doing at the moment.

BRUCE HILL: I asked Prime Minister Seveli where the threat to public order in Tonga is coming from.

PRIME MINISTER FRED SEVELI: I think you people overseas don't quite understand what happens here. In our view, if it is required in terms of our security then we will maintain with it.

BRUCE HILL: Some of the people's representative say the emergency regulations, from their perspective, are being used to keep them away from the mass media and to intimidate people.

PRIME MINISTER FRED SEVELI: Look, Bruce, they can talk to you, they can go on air, they can go in newspaper, they can say what they like in parliament. It is not and that's absolute rubbish.

BRUCE HILL: Are you confident that with the electoral and political reform in place by 2010 that you'll be able to have elections under a new system and it will all go off without a hitch?

PRIME MINISTER FRED SEVELI: Majority of the people want to see elections, want to see the reforms go in the traditional Tongan way: peaceful and fair and all above-board.

BRUCE HILL: But Clive Edwards believes the continued renewal of the emergency regulations will delay progress towards political reform.

CLIVE EDWARDS: I'm of the view at the moment that it's a bit of a pass. I think they're gonna keep the state of emergency in place, because they're trying to provoke a reaction by not carrying out anything, to get people angry and provoke and justify nothing's been done.