Lord Ma’afu was appointed Deputy Prime Minister by the king yesterday after he was nominated by PM Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa to replace former Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fā’otusia.
Lord Ma’afu. Photo/Tonga Parliament
The move could allow voters to see what is in the Prime Minister’s mind about the upcoming Vote of No Confidence. One of the views is that Tu’i’onetoa has his trust completely in the seven Noble MPs after it was obvious that two of the Nobles are trapped overseas. Those seven, plus the Prime Minister and MP ‘Akosita Lavulavu make a group of nine. They only need four of the independent MPs to stay loyal to have the numbers to win the vote of no confidence when Parliament resumes in January.
The Democrats only needed two so they can win.
However, there is a question about whether Hon. Tu’i’onetoa still trusts the Independent MPs in Cabinet. The outgoing Deputy Prime Minister, Vuna Fā’otusia, was an independent. Why did the Prime Minister not appoint another independent MP to replace Fā’otusia? Fā’otusia joined the PTOA Party after he was elected to Parliament as an Independent MP, but before the recent premiership election, he joined the People’s Party and supported PM Tu’i’onetoa.
The question that arises is whether the appointment of Lord Ma’afu a show of Tu’i’onetoa’s distrust of his Independent MPs and Ministers after Fā’otusia’s departure?
Hon Fā’otusia claimed in an interview last week with Kaniva that there were members in Cabinet who supported them and will vote for them. Without naming them, he said these Cabinet ministers did not agree with what the Prime Minister and Lavulavu have been doing for Tonga.
Fā’otusia and PTOA
Kaniva News understands that Hon. Fā’otusia and the nine PTOA MPs regularly held meeting after his resignation and the submission of no confidence motion. Nothing has been made public about any arrangements or who would be in their proposed Cabinet list. We can only speculate at this stage. Because Hon. Fā’otusia helped meet the legal requirement that 10 MPs submit the motion of no confidence, many people have speculated he would be the Prime Minister and Democrat Party Leader Sēmisi Sika would become Deputy Prime Minister.
Observers said if that was the case, it could be very hard for them to persuade any more independents from the government bench to join them. They will need to do some very clever horse trading if they want to win back some of the independents. One suggested outcome is that the PTOA and Fā’otusia would have to trade the Prime Ministership and Deputy position to Hon. Tu’i’onetoa’s independents. If they gave the premiership to Siaosi Sovaleni and the Deputy role to Poasi Tei for example there would be a high possibility for them to get those two on side. Hon Tu’i’onetoa will also try his best to offer his independents the best deal. However, it appears that Hon. Tu’ionetoa could not step down and allow one of his independents to become Prime Minister, which would benefit the PTOA.
A warning has been posted on Facebook telling PTOA members to stop asking who their new ministers will be. Some PTOA supporters keenly want to avoid what they see as a repeat of previous mistakes where the Party failed to take the reins of power because the members fought each other for power and not for the Party to become the government of the day.
There have also been speculation that some of the Nobles could side with Hon. Fā’otusia and the PTOA when it comes to the vote of no confidence. Unfortunately, history did not support this. These kinds of rumours have been heard many times since the democratic reforms of 2010.
History shows that the Nobles have stuck together and supported the conservatives. They never support the PTOA or any democratic movements because it would put them in a position where they would be opposing the kings and the royals. Only Lord Ma’afu, who joined the ‘Akilisi Pōhiva government, did this. It happened because the late Hon. Pōhiva wanted someone from the nobility to take the Ministry of Lands because there were sensitive issues in regards to the large blocks of lands in the country owned by the nobility and the royals.
Finally, one of the most important pieces of information the public would be interested to know is whether the PTOA Core Team has developed guidelines on how to act during a vote of no confidence and whether Hon. Fā’otusia would follow them. There is also the very important question of whether they would be going into the vote of no confidence under the PTOA banner or whether the former Deputy Prime Minister would expect the group to re-brand itself and institute new voting rules.
By Anna Whyte of TVNZ. This story is republished with permission
New Zealand is supporting the Pacific’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out with a $75 million package to ensure the region has effective and fast access to immunisation.
Nanaia Mahuta. Source: Q+A
It comes as the Government today confirmed it had purchased enough vaccines to cover the entire population of New Zealand and the Pacific.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said a vaccine would be key to the region’s economic and social recovery.
“New Zealand is pursuing a portfolio of potential Covid-19 vaccines to ensure we have flexibility and choice in the fast-moving global marketplace,” she said.
“We want to make sure Pacific countries can also access suitable options, and have the support they need to run successful immunisation campaigns.”
New Zealand would buy enough vaccines to cover Realm countries of Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands and also Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu if the Governments want to take up the offer.
Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio said New Zealand was best placed “to support these countries directly because of our constitutional relationships in the Realm, and the strong links between our health systems and our close people-to-people ties across Polynesia”
“We will also be scaling up existing health investments to enable us to play our part in vaccine roll-out.”
Accordings to Johns Hopkins University, Samoa has recovered two cases of coronavirus, while Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu have managed to keep it out.
Who has authorised ‘Etuate Lavulavu to speak so regularly and publicly on behalf of the government?
In recent weeks Lavulavu has appeared to speak for the government during its processions for prayer and fasting around the islands, even going so far as to apparently make fun of the Prime Minister.
Kaniva News has asked Lavulavu to say who authorised him to speak on government matters. However, as he has done when we asked him for clarification of other issues, he told us his answers were in interviews he made with Radio Tonga and 89.5 FM. Unfortunately, the questions we have offered him a chance to answer come from us, not the radio stations.
In Vava’u earlier this year there were complaints after convicted ex-Cabinet Minister Lavulavu interfered during Parliamentary meetings in Leimātu’a and Hahake districts and praised the government and its housing for the poor scheme.
Local people asked what his position in government was.
Last week in Vava’u, Lavulavu spoke almost everywhere the Prime Minister and his government delegates went to promote the Prime Minister’s taxpayer funded fasting and prayer service to combat Covid-19.
During a celebration in Tu’anekivale, Vava’u last week, it was Lavulavu who introduced a donation and a Tongan entertainment item sponsored by Prime Minister Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa, his family and members of his delegates. He was making jokes about the Prime Minister during his introduction which many observers felt showed how confident and close he was to Hon. Tuʻiʻonetoa. They felt Lavulavu could say anything he wanted in front of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers.
The Chief Secretary General and some of the Cabinet Ministers, including senior staff of the Prime Minister’s Office were there. Critics asked why a former Minister who was barred from Parliament after being found guilty of bribery was allowed to speak at an important event that was shown on Facebook as well as being broadcast.
Lavulavu was known locally by the title “engineer” referring to what he did to create the People’s Party and how he managed to persuade some PTOA MPs to join it until the new group outnumbered the PTOA Party in the premiership election after Late ‘Akilisi Pohiva died.
Lavulavu is regarded as having been instrumental in devising the government’s controversial multi-million roading policy. He has said publicly that the first question he asked the People’s Party at their first meeting was what their priority policy was. The Party answered it was the roading policy. Lavulavu said he applauded the Party for that as it showed they were on the right track.
Convictions
Apart from being convicted by the Tonga Supreme Court for bribery and by a US court for fraud, ‘Etuate Lavulavu is currently facing two frauds charges in the court of Tonga.
He and his wife Akosita, who was voted to represent his electorate after he was removed from Parliament and is currently responsible for the Ministries of Infrastructure and Tourism, were charged with knowingly dealing with forged documents and obtaining credit by false pretences, after irregularities in an audit of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute in 2016.
Lavulavu is also facing a lawsuit after he was accused recently of forging a landlord’s signature in Vava’u from whom he leased land.
In 2000 he was sued by Late Prince Tu’ipelehake for damages and unlawful cultivation of his land. Chief Justice Ward ordered Lavulavu to quit the land and pay $7,905 damages. Chief Justice Ward, presiding, was scathing about aspects of Lavulavu’s testimony during the trial, saying “I felt he was willing to say almost anything that seemed to suit the moment with a repeated disregard for the truth.”
The Supreme Court has found ‘Epeli Taione guilty of possession of illicit drugs.
His co-accused Kuliti Tongamoa, aka “Creed” was found guilty on two counts of supplying illicit drugs.
‘Epeli Taione (R) with wife Hon Lupepau’u Tuita Taione. Photo/Facebook
Taione, who was married to Princess Pilolevu’s eldest daughter was arrested after police executed a search warrant and took several people into custody in ‘Umusi in February.
Police found the former ‘Ikale Tahi player and former chair of the national rugby union board, sleeping in a room inside Tongamoa’s workplace.
Police seized Taione’s mobile phone and found a text message which read: “Koau eni mihi is Creed” (‘I am sniffing is Creed’).
The judge after making clarifications on the message and what she believed was an auto-correct mistake said the message intended to say “Ko au ‘eni mihi ‘ia Creed” which means “I am sniffing at Creed’s” workplace.
Both accused men pleaded not guilty to the offences and stood trial, local news media have reported.
Justice Langi said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the first accused Tongamoa supplied cocaine to Mr Taione.
She found Tongamoa guilty on one count of supplying 0.01 grams of cocaine.
Taione was found guilty on one count of possession of 0.01 grams of cocaine.
Both accused remain on bail and will be sentenced on February 19, 2021.
Meanwhile, a third person Tome Suasau was sentenced recently to eight months in prison, but Miss Langi suspended the sentence completely because he had pleaded guilty and co-operated with the police.
Media reports on the motion of no confidence have focused on Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fā’otusia’s concerns about what he sees as the undue influence of disgraced former MP ‘Etuate Lavulavu on the Prime Minister and the cost of the government’s prayer and fasting excursions to the outer islands.
Sione Vuna Fā’otusia, PM Tu’i’onetoa and ‘Etuate Lavulavu
Existing concerns about the roadworks schemes and the alleged failure of the government to address the plight of watermelon growers whose crops have been banned from entering New Zealand were also raised in the motion of no confidence.
However, the motion of no confidence raises a number of other issues that raise concerns about proper governance and procedure.
Resigned
Radio New Zealand reported last night that Hon. Fa’otusia had resigned. When asked by Kaniva News earlier in the day whether he had handed in his papers, the Deputy Prime Minister would only say it would be “the decent thing to do.”
The motion was tabled by leading Democrat Sēmisi Sika and was signed by 10 MPs. It has been calculated that with two Nobles trapped overseas, the Democrats could topple the Prime Minister with fewer than a handful of votes.
Covid-19
In the motion of no confidence, questions are raised about the apparent lack of planning for Covid-19.
Despite promises in the Budget Statement that combatting Covid-19 was the government’s chief priority, no plan setting out actions to ensure safety for the people of Tonga had been brought to Parliament.
The motion claimed that a TP$39 million “to fill in the gaps in the 2020/2021 budget” did not go through proper procedures. By law the government can only borrow TP$15 million a year in any financial year, the motion said.
A loan of $39 million “to fill in the gaps in the 2020/2021 budget” did not go through the normal processes.
A budget deficit of TP$20.6 million was funded from the Emergency Fund because of the TP$380m expenditure with a revenue of only TP$359.4m. In this deficit budget there is already the inclusion of the proposed loan from IMF of $19m plus $20m from Government bonds was included.
In the motion, it was claimed the amount of the loan was “spread and hidden” in the budget statement.
Roadworks
According to the petition, the road works programme had been selected to benefit Cabinet members.
The huge amount of money allocated raises questions on the selection process of companies to be providers and subcontractors on the projects.
The Prime Minister revealed in February 2020 at a public meeting at Tongatapu 4 that roadworks in his TT10 constituency has already exceeded $4m but were not finished, the motion said.
“A total allocation of $300m for the roadworks include $45m for the first year (2020/21). $120m for the second year (2021/22); and $135 for the third year (2022/23).
“Details of the $300m are outlined as: a) $100m for rocks, b) $50m for tar and kerosene, c) $20m for clearance of trees and roadsides, d) $50m needs of workers e.g. overtime, oil, etc. e) $20m for works to seal the roads, f) $20m for drainage work, g) $40m other expenses.
“The huge amount of money allocated raises questions on the selection process of companies to be providers and subcontractors on the projects.”
Selective financial assistance
The motion of no confidence said the 2020/21 budget had allocated financial help to the company operating the boat from ‘Eua, the constituency of the Minister of Finance, despite the fact that there were other local boat companies in need of assistance.
“The Budget Statement includes the commitment from Government ‘to fund from the Budget of 2020/21 assistance to sea transportation to ‘Eua.’ The Minister of Finance, Tevita Lavemaau is the people’s representative to ‘Eua, and Government looks the other way concerning issues of conflict of interest,” the motion said.
Other examples of Selective financial assistance included the refusal to help Real Tonga Airlines, effectively shutting them down, yet starting a new airline owned and funded by Government.
Media fund
It was also raised that TP $610,600 had been set aside from the Prime Minister’s Office current budget under the heading ‘announcements for media,’ up to June 30, 2021. Questions were raised about which media were getting the bulk of the payments, and why it cost so much such a high cost when the Government has its own radio and television service.?
Construction of footpaths
Footpaths were meant to be laid down in the main towns of Nuku’alofa (for Tongatapu), Neiafu (for Vava’u), Pangai (for Ha’apai), and ‘Ohonua (for ‘Eua). Instead, other villages and where Ministers come from had been selected for work instead..
“This is obviously another blatant case of selective works carried out by Government only in constituencies of those in the Cabinet,” the motion said.
“These points of contention presented in the motion will be debated and responded to by the Prime Minister. He is being given plenty of time before the January 12 reconvening of Parliament to prepare his response. “
Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa has again been asked for his response to accusations made by Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fa’otusia in his no confidence motion.
We would like to report the Prime Minister’s response and have asked him to comment several times.
We will let you know his response as soon as we hear from him.
Disgraced ex-politician ‘Etuate Lavulavu has denied he was responsible for the new cyber bullying bill, the Electronic Communication Abuse Offences Act, which became law last week.
‘Etuate Lavulavu
Lavulavu said the law was passed by Parliament, of which he is not a member.
Lavulavu was expelled from Parliament in 2016 after being convicted of bribery.
He has clashed with his critics and PTOA supporters on Facebook for the past week, accusing them of defaming him and publishing ‘fake news.’
Lavulavu appears to have become infuriated after he was accused of being responsible for a number of laws passed by the government, including the Communication Abuse Offence Act.
He threatened to lodge complaints against his critics with the Police.
In Tongan Lavulavu said: “Puka [Manufekai] I am warning you, if you continue what you are doing. I have no choice. I have taken screen shots of your alleged defamation and 22 fake news against me. This is my last warning. If you continue I will take you to court.”
He warned his critics before the law was passed last week that he had already taken screenshots of comments which he regarded as defamatory.
Lavulavu’s comments met with a strong reaction from his critics.
Some urged Manufekai, a staunch supporter of the PTOA Party, to continue what he was doing on Facebook.
The Attorney General, Linda Folaumoetu’i, told the media last week the new law was intended to address the use of any communication platform to abuse, harass or otherwise harm another person.
While many welcomed the law to fight against online abuse, many feared the government would use it to silence its critics and stop civil servants from leaking sensitive information to the public.
Lavulavu was convicted of bribery by the Tonga Supreme Court. That was after he was arrested in Utah in the United States in October 2003 over a 1997 immigration scam. In 2004 he was convicted after pleading guilty to two counts of illegal use of a birth certificate.
On 3 March 2018 Lavulavu and his wife were arrested on fraud charges stemming from their management of the ʻUnuaki ʻo Tonga Royal Institute in 2016.
‘Etuate Lavulavu was asked for comment, but told us his answers were in interviews he made with Radio Tonga and 89.5 FM.
Unfortunately, the questions we have offered him a chance to answer come from us, not the radio stations.
Friends of a Tongan woman who died in a crash yesterday in Auckland have paid tribute to her on social media, saying she was “exceptionally active and sociable” when they grew up.
Meliame Tonga Pani. Photo/Facebook
Tonga Pani, 22, who went by the name Meliame Tonga Pani on social media was killed in an early morning crash in an Auckland suburb over the weekend.
Emergency services were called to a spot on Mt Eden Rd, near Three Kings Grove, shortly before 5am yesterday after reports of a crash.
Police confirmed the woman’s identity in a statement today.
“Rest in love Meliame Tonga Pani,” a commenter wrote.
“Black for you my partner in crime Meliame Tonga Pani. Gone too soon Wake up sis im sick of crying Fly High my sis.”
Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fā’otusia said this morning he could not work with Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa, but stopped short of specifically confirming reports he had resigned.
Minister of Justice Hon. Vuna Fā’otusia. Photo/Kalino Lātū
Hon. Fā’otusia is deeply unhappy about the Prime Minister’s relationship with disgraced former Cabinet Member ‘Etuate Lavulavu.
Kaniva News has asked Hon. Fā’otusia to confirm that he has tendered his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice to Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa.
We also wanted to know what the Prime Minister’s response has been and whether Hon. Fā’otusia still holds his ministerial offices.
Responding to our questions, Hon. Fā’otusia said the guidelines for Cabinet members clearly said that if ministers did not agree with the Prime Minister and the other members of cabinet they had to tender their resignation.
“This is a decent thing to do as in Cabinet things will not move forward if members are not loyal to the Prime Minister,” Hon. Fā’otusia said.
It was up to the Prime Minister to either accept the resignation or not. if he did not accept it he would not forward the resignation to the king and the Minister would still be in cabinet.
If he forwarded the resignation to the king, it would be for the king to either accept it or not. If the king did not accept the resignation then the said member would still be in cabinet.
The question of the Deputy Prime Minister’s resignation hinges on his tabling of a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa over the influence of Lavulavu. Lavulavu was convicted of bribery and kicked out of Parliament in 2016.
Hon. Fā’otusia blamed Lavulavu for being the mastermind behind the Prime Minister, who appeared to do whatever he was told.
“Cabinet is not functioning well as members did not challenge the Prime Minister about bringing in Lavulavu,” Hon. Fā’otusia said.
“Another funny thing is that that in the party formed by the Prime Minister and Lavulavu, the Prime Minister is the leader and the deputy is Lavulavu, but Lavulavu is neither a member of Parliament or Cabinet.
“What do they think of the other Cabinet members? This is an insult to the intellect of the rest of Cabinet members and it should be stopped.
“I cannot work with the Prime Minister while Lavulavu is by his side.
“We need to put a stop to this practice and bring in a government that can do the right thing where justice is done and also be seen to be done. God bless us all.”
Every year in Tonga the first week of January is devoted to a prayer service conducted by the Free Wesleyan Church call Uike Ha’amo ‘o Tonga or, in English, the churches ask God to carry Tonga over His shoulder.
It ran for the whole week and people have to prepare polas every day from Monday to Sunday to welcome people who attended the churches. The Free Wesleyan Church prayer service was later joined by other Tongan protestant churches like the Free Church of Tonga. It was a big week for Tonga and it has been running for many years now.
The pastors and whoever is attending have the chance to speak in the church and during the feast they asked God to protect Tonga from any natural disasters or any types of crisis. This was the gist of the prayer service.
But as we can see, Tonga continues to face tropical cyclones and the government’s annual budget continues to rely heavily on foreign countries’ donations. More than 50% of the budget has to come from its overseas counterparts.
Tonga continues to suffer from one of the highest levels of non-communicable diseases and obesity.
Statistics from the Asian Development Bank show about 22 percent of the Tonga population lives below the poverty line. The high cost of living means many people struggle to meet basic needs.
Last year Tongan police said that drug use, especially that of methamphetamine, is spreading in the kingdom and increasingly affecting young people. According to police statistics, among those arrested recently for drug use, the youngest is a 13-year-old, while the oldest is aged 67.
The pattern is the same with the Prime Minister’s National Fasting and Prayer services programme, which he said was to combat Covid-19. It is flawed and detracts from the Christian religion. He told the media Tonga was still safe because of the prayer programme. Is he trying to let us ask questions like, who was responsible for the tropical cyclones which have caused severe damage throughout Tonga almost every year, the drug epidemic, the level of poverty and Tonga’s struggle to fund its annual budget?
Hon Tu’i’onetoa, according to his Covid-19 prayer campaign, believes that God has been showing favouritism towards Tonga in particular and did not treat the other countries who have more Christian followers the same way. Italy, where Catholicism originated, suffered hugely and many of its people have died from Covid-19. Are we going to say that God hated Italy and only protected Tonga?
The Prime Minister needs help with his logic and reasoning.
Sensible
Logic would suggest that Tonga has kept Covid-19 at bay because of the Prime Minister’s very sensible decision to follow scientific advice and close the borders to aircraft, as well as having the navy keep watch for ships entering the kingdom’s territorial waters. These were good policies and they have worked. There was no need for the Prime Minister to claim the country was free of the virus because of his campaign.
Italy was overwhelmed with Covid infections because it did not close its borders in time and doctors and nurses have worked heroically since then to stem the tide within the country’s borders. From the Vatican, in the heart of Italy’s capital Rome, Pope Francis has prayed for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic, but also praised the work of scientists for working together to find a cure.
The Prime Minister’s fasting has been a bizarre twist in the Covid-19 pandemic given the level of expenditure taken from taxpayers’ money to fund it while at the same time Tongans who are stuck overseas have not received any help, unlike citizens from some other countries.
The melon growers and civil servants have complained about their plight, but the Prime Minister and his entourage have busied themselve in travelling to collect food, Tongan handicrafts, fish and travelling allowances, all paid for by taxpayers’ money.
Why didn’t Hon Tu’i’onetoa asked the churches in the outer islands to do the fasting and prayers on their own? That would save government money. In Vava’u last week, the Free Wesleyan Church Superintendent told the government’s tour in a welcoming programme that when he saw the number of government staff who had joined the tour he asked himself what would happen if the government stopped the tour and used that money to create a budget to pay the pastors. He said he was just making a joke, but Facebook users quickly took to Facebook and shared their views. They said the pastor was joking in the Tongan way of trying to make a joke but at the same time speaking seriously about the issue in a way the government would understand.
We saw during the Prime Minister’s visit to Vava’u last week that the level of cultural and social welcoming ceremonies expected was too much. Obliging people to donate polas caused some to complain because they could not afford it. That’s not how Christianity is supposed to work and there seems to be no logical link between fasting and enjoying huge feasts.
Religion should be respected, so it would have been better to leave the churches to provide such services for the people. Tonga’s coat of arms includes two olive branches tied around a crown, symbolising church and state. They are inseparable and at the same time they have to watch over each other. Some church ministers have expressed their concerns over Hon Tu’i’onetoa’s expensive fasting campaign and Kaniva News has reported this previously. The Prime Minister should respect people’s religious beliefs and leave it to them to decide whether they want to fast or pray.
