Tongan Parliamentarian Sione Havea Taione has denied claims that he conspired with fellow MP Dr Sitiveni Halapua to make Halapua to Prime Minister in 2012.
Kele’a newspaper’s columnist Viliami Taufa made the claim last week, saying Taione and Halapua’s plot to overturn the party’s decision to campaign for Pohiva to become the Prime Minister was something “very close to a party coup.”
Dr Halapua had already publicly denied the allegation, calling it “false” and ‘”fabricated.”
Taione slammed the newspaper and its editor, Mateni Tapueluelu for publishing serious allegations against him without seeking his side of the story.
In a letter released to Kaniva News this week, Taione who has been MP for Tongatapu 8 for three years, said Taufa’s allegations were malicious and malevolent.
Taione asked how Taufa could prove his claims when he was not in Tonga when the party met to choose its candidate for the Prime Ministership.
Taufa, who is based in Hamilton in New Zealand, has confirmed he will seek the nomination to stand for Tonga’s Democratic Party in the Tongatapu 8 constituency.
The newspaper columnist said he respected Taione and hoped he would not regard his view as degrading him as he had no choice but to reveal it .
This was the only reason why he opted to stand for Tongatapu 8.
The allegation was first published by Kele’a in November 2013. Taione said he ignored it at the time because he was busy with his duty as a member of parliament.
When the paper published it for the second time he thought it was time for him to intervene and correct it otherwise what he said was a lie would become the truth.
Pohiva moved for Halapua become PM
Taione conceded he and Dr Halapua were the ones who moved that ‘Akilisi Pohiva become Prime Minister in 2012.
In the same meeting, however, Pohiva moved for Dr Halapua to become Prime Minister in 2012 and the motion was passed.
Dr Halapua’s name was then processed by the party and sent to the then Parliamentary Secretary, SioneTekiteki, to have it ready for the premiership’s election.
Party members MP ‘Isileli Pulu and MP ‘Uliti Uata however were not in the meeting. They later on met with Pohiva and another party meeting was called.
At that meeting Pulu asked members to give the Prime Ministerial candidateship to Pohiva and the motion was passed.
The main points
- Tongan Parliamentarian Sione Havea Taione has denied claims that he conspired with fellow MP Dr Sitiveni Halapua to make Halapua to Prime Minister in 2012.
- Kele’a newspaper’s columnist Viliami Taufa made the claim last week.
- Dr Halapua had already publicly denied the allegation, calling it “false” and ‘”fabricated.”
- Taione, who is the member for Tongatapu 8, slammed the newspaper for not seeking his side of the story.
- Taione has described the allegations as malevolent.
- Taufa, who is based in Hamilton in New Zealand, has confirmed he will seek the nomination to stand for Tonga’s Democratic Party in Tongatapu 8.
