Lord Tu‘i‘āfitu remains the official Minister of Lands despite reports he was planning to resign.
This has been confirmed to Kaniva News this morning by the Ministry’s chief executive Taniela Kula.
Mr Kula said if the Minister had resigned, the Prime Minister’s office would have announced it.
In Tongan, he said: “Officially, ‘oku kei Minisita pe kae ‘oleva kuo Tukuatu he PMO ‘a e tu’unga ‘oku ‘iai.”
Last month, the Prime Minister said during a press conference in Nuku’alofa that he was “having conversations” with the king’s noble about his resignation from his ministerial portfolio.
As we reported previously, a leaked internal memo seen by Kaniva News indicated that the king had lost confidence in the Minister. Mr Kula later confirmed that the memo was from him.
The king does not have constitutional power to dismiss or pressure Cabinet Ministers to resign.
The Prime Minister and his former Minister of Foreign Affairs previously resigned from their respective positions in the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries after the king expressed his lack of confidence. However, their resignations were only due to pressure exerted by the king’s nobles in Parliament, citing Tongan faka’apa’apa (cultural respect) for the king.
The Prime Minister retained his responsibilities for the other portfolios within the government, while Utoikamanu was reassigned to oversee the Ministry of Communications and Technologies (MEIDECC).
Criticisms
As we previously reported, the noble faced criticisms following his globetrotting with Ministry officials to hold meetings with Tongan diaspora members, including visits to Australia, the United States, and New Zealand.
Critics said the meeting agendas may have effectively been conducted online and through social media platforms to minimize expenses.
Lord Tu’i’afitu justified the necessity of the trip by highlighting the manual processes involved in handling land issues, such as administering oaths. He mentioned seeking advice from the Minister of Justice.
