Tongan Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa will remain in power after a no-confidence vote was defeated in Parliament this afternoon.
Hon Tu’i’onetoa has come under fire after his government was accused of designing the tendering process for its multi-million roading project so the contracts would be given to three of his friends.
All the tenders have been awarded to companies with links of varying strength to the government, a conflict of interest that would raise red flags in Australia and New Zealand.
Hon Tu’i’onetoa won the vote of 13 noble and Cabinet legislators. Nine MPs from the PTOA Party voted against the Prime Minister.
Hon Tu’i’onetoa, the second commoner elected in September 2019 to lead the country since 2010 political reforms, has been prime minister for just over a year now.
