Tongans still have some hope for the future, but the future of the kingdom’s Democracy Party government is uncertain.
Dr Micheal Horowitz, Dean of Tonga’s ‘Atenisi Institute, told a seminar on the future of democracy in Tonga the Democrats might just retain power despite the controversies that have dogged the government of ‘Akilisi Pōhiva.
But he said Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke or Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni could replace Pōhiva as Prime Minister.
If the Democrats fell, a new leader could emerge from the nobles.
He said people could still support the new democratic style of politics.
The kingdom will go back to the polls in 2018.
The seminar, ‘Can the Democracy Coalition retain power in Tonga?,’ was held at Auckland University of Technology’s Pacific Media Centre.
Hon. Pōhiva was elected as Tonga’s first commoner Prime Minster in 2014 after a decades-long struggle to bring democracy to the kingdom.
As Kaniva News has reported in the years since that election, Hon. Pōhiva’s government has been beset by accusations of nepotism, complaints over his handling of the education portfolio and a protracted battle with the Tongan media over what he says is a campaign by his opponents to use the national broadcaster to attack him.
Dr Horowitz said the future of the democratic coalition remained uncertain.
He said there was no way of predicting the outcome because no survey had been conducted. This meant the result would once again be a “big surprise.”
Asia Pacific Report quoted Dr Horowitz as saying that Hon. Pōhiva’s government was dragging its feet on the country poor economic situation.
Dr Horowitz said the fact that overseas remittances made up 22% of the country’s GDP meant Tonga “dependent on the people’s generosity.”
The main points
- Tongans still have some hope for the future, but the future of the kingdom’s Democracy Party government is uncertain.
- Dr Micheal Horowitz, Dean of Tonga’s ‘Atenisi Institute, told a seminar on the future of democracy in Tonga last week the Democrats might just retain power despite the controversies that have dogged the government of ‘Akilisi Pōhiva.
- But he said Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke or Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni could replace Pōhiva as Prime Minister.
- The kingdom will go back to the polls in 2018.
For more information
Tonga’s Democracy Coalition faces uncertain future, says academic (by Kendall Hutt)
