With just 10 more days before the Vavaʻu 16 by-election on July 14, Tonga’s Democratic Party has yet to announce a candidate.
Only four candidates stand for the by-election vying for the same seat in Parliament.
They were Akosita Lavulavu, Dr Viliami Lātū, ‘Ipeni Siale and ‘Atalasa Pouvalu.
Two potential candidates for the Democratic Party were Akosita Lavulavu and ‘Ipeni ‘Alamoni Siale. Dr Lātū and Pouvalu stood as independent candidates in the last national election.
Siale was nominated by the Party in the last election but was unsuccessful. The election was won by the outgoing MP ‘Etuate Lavulavu.
However Siale told Kaniva News recently he has yet to talk to Democratic Leader ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and the Party about their candidacy.
Akosita and his campaign team did not return requests for comment.
However, she wrote on Facebook and declared her full support to Pōhiva and his government.
In the past Pōhiva has told his supporters to choose particular candidates because he thought would help him in his fight to bring democracy to Tonga.
Since the democratic reform came into effect in 2010 and majority of the MPs were chosen by the people the Democratic Party was set up under the leadership of Pōhiva.
In the last two general elections the Party continued to name candidates they thought would support them in Parliament.
If Pōhiva would not name a candidate for the upcoming by-election it would mark the first time since he entered Parliament in 1987, that his supporters were left to vote without his political campaign influence.
Tonga’s political system
The political party system does not exist in Tonga. Political analysts say Tonga’s current political system was designed to have all members of parliament represent the whole country with no formal opposition party.
Critics say the system was intended to give greater power to the king and the nobles and that claims it was a democracy were misleading as the current government represents a minority because of the disproportionate power of the nobles.
The Friendly Island Democratic Party, led by Leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva, was established in September 2010 to unite candidates who later became MPs and who were supporters of Pohiva in his attempt to have the government democratically run by the people.
Tonga’s new political system, which was implemented in 2010, introduced an electoral system comprised of two electorates: the hereditary land-holding nobles, plus nine Life Peers (honorary Nobles), who elect nine hereditary Nobles;
The rest of the population of Tonga – about 100,000 people – elect 17 representatives, 10 of them on the main island, Tongatapu.
According to Tonga’s constitution a general election is held every four years, after which the elected parliamentarians elect the Prime Minister.
