Speculation is circulating that nobility ministers were told to resign after the Pacific Leaders meeting currently taking place in Nuku’alofa.
It has been claimed that this was a royal order, which the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lord Vaea, then conveyed to the nobles.
We have contacted the Prime Minister and Lord Vaea for comment.
The king does not have the authority to dismiss a Cabinet Minister, as that power is granted to the Prime Minister at his discretion under Clause 51(3)(a) of the Constitution.
However, since the king can appoint or revoke his 33 nobility members, he can use this power to influence decisions regarding their ministerial positions.
Three noble MPs are serving as ministers in PM Hu’akavameiliku’s Cabinet, including Lord Fohe, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forest; Lord Vaea, Minister for Internal Affairs; and Lord Tu‘i‘āfitu, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
MP Māteni Tapueluelu told Kaniva News that reliable sources within the government told him about the king’s alleged decision and that Lord Vaea was assigned to communicate it to the nobles.
MP Tapueluelu said he firmly believed the allegation was also linked to a court case currently at the Court of Appeal, but he did not provide further details.
In that Appeal case, the King’s Secretary, Viliami Malolo, sued the government after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Public Service Commission (PSC) re-established the MFA’s chief executive position following a recommendation by the former chief judge.
It has been claimed that the post-restoration automatically invalidated Malolo’s roles in the MFA.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) believed the King’s Secretary taking over the role of CEO constituted a lack of legal capacity.
That court case is currently at the Court of Appeal after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Malolo.
MP Tapueluelu said he recently met the government’s lawyer, Dr Rodney Harrison from New Zealand, in Tonga. Mr Harrison was in the kingdom for the Appeal Court hearing, which was postponed.
The allegations of the forced resignation of the King’s noble ministers came to light after His Majesty withdrew his confidence in the Prime Minister’s role as Minister of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
That incident resulted in the Prime Minister’s resignation as Minister of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and Fekita Utoikamanu’s resignation as Foreign Affairs Minister. Utoikamanu was later appointed as Minister for the Ministry of Tourism. The Prime Minister recently announced that he is acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The new episode comes after concerns about the efficacy of Tonga’s political system and the extent of the Monarchy’s authority. Critics regarded it, and as previously reported by Kaniva News, as an attempt by His Majesty to regain his executive power, which was relinquished by his late brother, King George V, to the people in 2010.
Forum leaders meeting
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has signed a new partnership agreement with Tonga’s Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku as the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Nuku’alofa entered its third day.
The agreement between New Zealand and Tonga pledges to strengthen cooperation between their military and police forces. It also commits to supporting efforts to work and limit global warming to 1.5°C, enhance climate resilience and adaptation work, and improve Tonga’s telecommunications resilience and cybersecurity.
The leaders will hold a retreat on Thursday, at which they are expected to issue a statement about issues including the political crisis in New Caledonia. The prospect of a vote in Paris that would dilute the political representation of the indigenous Kanak sparked rioting in May.
More than 1,500 delegates from more than 40 countries at this year’s meeting of Pacific member states, all hoping to further their agendas in a region where oceans, resources and strategic power have grown increasingly contested.
The one-week meeting features the forum’s largest-ever delegation from China and a sizeable deputation from the United States, led by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.
Both countries are among 21 “dialogue partners” — a group of nations interested in the region—in the forum.
