Police searching the Waikato River for a missing 36-year-old man have recovered a body.
The body was located about 10.30am today.
A formal identification process will now take place.
Police are unable to provide any further detail at this stage.
Family have lucky escape from house fire in Tongatapu
A family were sleeping inside a house in Tofoa shortly before it was destroyed by fire on Monday 2 at 12am.
They escaped unharmed after someone kicked the door open and woke them up.
Fire trucks were called to the blaze. No one was injured.
The fire broke out at the lounge. It has caused an estimated loss of TOP$37,500.00
The cause of the fire was “undetermined” and still under investigation, a Fire Service spokesperson said.
However, a family member said the blaze was allegedly caused by lighting candles.
The house belonged to Lomu, late Samuela Felemi, one of the king’s matāpules.
His son Lositika Felemi told Kaniva News the blaze was believed to have been caused by lighting candles.
MP Losaline Ma’asi new Minister of Internal Affairs, no replacement announced for Lord Ma’afu
Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva has nominated MP Losaline Ma’asi as his new Minister of Internal Affairs, a government spokesperson told Kaniva News this afternoon.
The Tongatapu 5 MP has replaced outgoing cabinet minister MP Akosita Lavulavu.
The spokesperson also said no one has been nominated to replace Lord Ma’afu after the noble resigned as Minister of Lands and Survey as well as Minister of His Majesty’s Armed Forces in March.
Ma’asi, a former senior civil servant and CEO of the Ministry of Agriculture, unseated former MP and Finance Minister ‘Aisake Eke after last year’s snap election.
She and Lavulavu were the only two women elected after the king dissolved Parliament in 2017.
Lavulavu was dismissed last month after she refused to resign voluntarily at the request of the Prime Minister.
She and her husband ‘Etuate, a former cabinet minister, are expected to appear in court at the end of this month after they were charged with three counts each of knowingly dealing with forged documents and three counts of obtaining credit by false pretences.
No place for Nobles in Parliament, CEC said, but admitted most people wanted no change
Eight years after it was submitted to Parliament, Kaniva News reviews the Constitutional and Electoral Commission Report of 2009 and looks at one of the issues considered by the CEC: The place of the Nobles in Tonga’s Parliament.
“Measured against current perceptions of democracy in much of today’s world, there can be no justification for the presence of the nobles in the Assembly.”
That was the judgement of the Constitutional and Electoral Commission when it reported in 2009.
The Report said that there was a general lack of opposition to the retention of the Nobles in Parliament in submissions to the Commission.
“The presence of the nobles in the Legislative Assembly has long been accepted and is still regarded by a substantial number of members of the public as essential when considered against the traditional structure of Tongan society and the importance of the ties of kainga and ha’a,” the Report said.
However, there was a widespread wish for the Nobles to be elected by the whole electorate.
Some of the later submissions presented well articulated and sometimes, powerful arguments against the Nobles’ continued presence in Parliament.
The Commission said it would not matter whether the nine Nobles were elected by their own numbers or by the whole electorate.
Under the existing situation a small group of Nobles would be voting to put an even smaller group of Nobles in Parliament.
There would be no point in letting the whole electorate vote for the Nobles when they would still be chosen from the same pools of 29 people.
The Commission recommended that the number of Nobles in Parliament and the method of electing them stay the same.
“The decision to retain them will be seen by many outside our borders as a failure to grasp a chance to achieve democracy,” the Report said.
“We define democracy by more than the right to elect a representative parliament. Much that truly defines democracy is already enshrined in traditional Tongan values.
“We feel the continued presence of the nobles in the new and untried representative parliament will be accepted by most Tongans as a sensible and, possibly, necessary influence.”
Elections
At the last election the nine seats set aside for nobles were voted for by the hereditary nobles and five life peers.
A late change to Tonga’s electoral law meant that life peers could stand as noble candidates in the last election.
Before then life peers were able to vote for noble MPs but they were not allowed to stand for election.
The main points
- “Measured against current perceptions of democracy in much of today’s world, there can be no justification for the presence of the nobles in the Assembly.”
- That was the judgement of the Constitutional and Electoral Commission when it reported in 2009.
- However, there was a general lack of opposition to the retention of the Nobles in Parliament in submissions to the Commission.
- The Commission recommended that the number of Nobles in Parliament and the method of electing them stay the same.
For more information
Two suspects arrested in US following murder of Sosaia Finau
Anchorage Police in Alaska, United States have arrested two suspects in the killing of 22-year-old Tongan Sosaia Finau last month.
Mickee Thompson, 19, and Robert Smith, 18, were taken into custody without incident this evening Thursday 3 at 7:29 after police received a tip that they were in a residence in Anchorage’s Spenard area, police said in an alert.
Thompson and Smith were each charged with first- and second-degree murder.
They were accused of murdering Finau at an apartment complex in the 4200 block of Mountain View Drive on the morning of Thursday, April 12.
Thompson allegedly used to date the victim’s girlfriend, and the shots rang out after an argument ensued at the girlfriend’s home, Anchorage news media reported.
Thompson and Smith fled on foot, according to witnesses.
Eleven days after the shooting, a caller reported a suspicious person at Valley of the Moon Park included a possible sighting of one of the suspects. The call prompted a large police presence at the park in Midtown. APD later said the report was unfounded.
Read more
Alaska’s Tongan community plead for gunmen to come forward after fatal shooting
Ha’apai man jailed for underage sex
A Tungua man has been jailed for having sex with a girl under the age of 12.
Sione Faka’osifono Fainga’anuku, 67, was sentenced to three and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to the crime, according to Tonga’s Acting Attorney General, ‘Aminiasi Kefu.
Kefu was commenting on Kaniva Tonga website correcting a mistake we made in our previous report of this case.
We reported earlier this week that Fainga’anuku pleaded not guilty but this was incorrect. In fact he pleaded guilty, according to Kefu.
Five suspects arrested after kidnapping of two women in Auckland
Auckland Police have arrested and charged five people, including four teenagers, following a serious incident overnight where two women were kidnapped.
The suspects were three females ages 20, 14 and 13 as well as two 15-year-old male teenagers
The incident started on Bowen Avenue in Central Auckland around 10pm where the victims confronted the five offenders allegedly attempting to break into their car.
They were assaulted and then forced to comply with orders and made to walk around with the offenders while they allegedly looked for a vehicle to steal.
They were then forced into the boot of a stolen Mazda Demio vehicle and driven to South Auckland.
Unaware of the earlier kidnapping or the vehicle having been stolen, a Counties Manukau Police unit has observed the vehicle travelling in convoy with another car and attempted to stop them.
Both vehicles failed to stop.
The stolen Mazda Demio continued onto the Southern Motorway and then exited at Ramarama and drove off the side of a bridge where the vehicle went down an approximately five metre bank.
The two victims were located in the boot with moderate injuries and were taken to Middlemore Hospital for treatment.
Three offenders were located at the scene and taken into custody.
The Police Eagle helicopter has located the second vehicle, now known to be stolen, at an address in Manurewa and a further two people were arrested in relation to this incident.
The five people have been charged with the following:
20 year old female charged with kidnapping x 2, aggravated robbery x 2, unlawful interference of motor vehicle, and unlawful taking a motor vehicle x 2.
15 year old male charged with kidnapping x 2, aggravated robbery x 2, unlawful interference of motor vehicle, unlawful taking a motor vehicle x 2, and dangerous driving causing injury x 2.
15 year old male charged with, kidnapping x 2, aggravated robbery x 2, unlawful interference of motor vehicle, and unlawful taking a motor vehicle x 2.
14 year old Female charged with kidnapping x 2, aggravated robbery x 2, unlawful interference of motor vehicle, and unlawful taking a motor vehicle x 2.
13 year old female will be referred to Youth Aid.
They will be appearing in the Auckland Youth Court on Saturday 5 May 2018.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard says this is really seriously offending and Police are focused on ensuring the victims and their families get the support they need following this traumatic incident.
“As this matter is before the courts, we are unable to comment any further.”
Auckland and Tonga to play for Mann Cup
The Auckland premier team and the Tonga New Zealand Residents will vie for the Mann Cup when they meet at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday, June 2.
The Auckland Rugby League has named the trophy in recognition of the Mann family, who have contributed significantly to both the Auckland and Tongan game over several decades.
The match will serve as the headline act of the Queen’s Birthday Weekend representative showdown, which will also see the Auckland Maori U20 take on the Toa Samoa Invitational U20.
ARL general manager Greg Whaiapu said the trophy announcement added an historic element to a new concept.
“It’s nice to be able to pay tribute to the Mann family, who over the years have achieved everything there is to be done in Auckland league. They have been wonderful servants of the local game,” Whaiapu said.
“A big part of bringing the Auckland representative team back is about recognising and celebrating our history, and this family have certainly played a leading role in the Auckland Rugby League story, along with contributing greatly to the development of the game in Tonga.”
The late George Mann Senior is considered the godfather of Tongan rugby league, having formed the first ever Tongan national team in 1986, dubbing them ‘Mate Ma’a Tonga’ (die for Tonga).
His brother Don Mann Senior represented Auckland on numerous occasions across a 10-year period, captaining the famed representative side along with winning Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honours in the Auckland first division.
Between Don’s sons Duane and Bart, and George’s sons Warren, George Junior and Esau, the next generation went on to amass a number of appearances for both Tonga and Auckland, with Duane captaining both sides during his career.
For further information
https://kanivatonga.co.nz/2017/11/rugby-league-sport-tonga-says-tongan-pioneer/
New Zealand High Commissioner presents NZ$7 million to Tropical Cyclone Gita Recovery Efforts
New Zealand High Commissioner Tiffany Babington presented a NZ$7 million grant contribution to the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Kilisitina Tuaimei’api today.
The contribution is part of the NZ$10 million package of assistance announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern during her visit to Tonga in March 2018 for Cyclone Gita recovery efforts.
Prime Minister Ardern announced that New Zealand’s funding would contribute to the Government of Tonga’s priorities, such as restoring the electricity network and getting children back to school. Some of NZ$7 million will be spent on reprinting primary school curriculum materials damaged in the cyclone and as requested by the Government of Tonga.
The balance of NZ$10 million (NZ$3 million) will replenish supplies used to restore the electricity network following TC Gita. The replenishment will ensure that the Tonga Village Network Upgrade can be completed by the end of 2018.
Are votes for overseas Tongans and their own seat in Parliament still hard to justify?
Eight years after it was submitted to Parliament, Kaniva News reviews the Constitutional and Electoral Commission Report of 2009 and looks at one of the issues considered by the CEC: Allowing Tongans overseas to vote or have their own seats in Tonga’s Parliament.
In 2004 Australian academic Helen Lee predicted that what she called “long distance Tongan nationalists” were likely to want to become more directly involved in the future of the kingdom.
“In the not too distant future it would not be surprising if at least some of the overseas population unites to demand more of a say in the nation-building process,” Lee wrote.
However, despite making a sizeable contribution to the Tongan economy, having a discernible affect on elections and being closely tied to the kingdom through social media and frequent air travel, overseas Tongans still do not have a voice.
When the Constitutional and Electoral Commission convened in 2009 it considered the question of how Tongans living overseas could be represented and concluded that there was no point in changing the existing system.
Under the existing laws any Tongan living overseas can register and vote if they return to Tonga for the election. Tongans living overseas can, if they qualify, stand for election if the return to the kingdom for a set period before the voting day.
The Commission received submissions that Tongans living abroad should be able to cast their votes in the country of their adopted residence for any election in Tonga and that the overseas Tongans should be able to elect their own Parliamentary representatives.
The CEC Report rejected the submissions, saying they were largely based on the argument that Tongans living overseas contributed substantial amounts of money to the kingdom.
The majority of Tongans living abroad had chosen to live in a different community and their immediate interests would largely be associated with the places in which lived.
“Their generous contribution to their families at home is testament to their continuing wish to retain close family and traditional links with their country of birth or origin,” the Report said.
“If they really wish to play an active role in Tongan elections, they can return once every few years and exercise the same right as the resident Tongans by casting their vote.”
In contrast to this, Fijian citizens living overseas with dual or multiple citizenship are allowed to vote, but may not stand as candidates.
The CEC described the proposal that expatriate Tongans should have their own representative or representatives in Parliament as “impractical and difficult to justify.”
“Such a representative would principally be voting on matters which will have little or no direct effect on the people he represents or on their adopted countries,’ the Report said.
It said if an MP or MPs representing overseas Tongans was only allowed to vote on matters relevant to overseas constituents, much of their time in the House would be worthless.
But is the idea of expatriate Tongans voting for their own representatives in Parliament really impractical? And is it so hard to make a case for letting them have a voice?
The situation for the Tongan diaspora is very different from when the CEC made its recommendations. The political situation has changed, Tongans are even more closely tied and in New Zealand, at least, have a very solid presence in all walks of life. The decision by some of the best rugby league players to represent the kingdom rather than Australia or New Zealand in that code’s recent world cup certainly showed that loyalty to their homeland is not in short supply among many Tongans overseas.
The fact that ‘Atalanga in Auckland is considered a royal residence as well as a consulate also raises the question of why it could not be regarded as sovereign Tongan territory for the purpose of elections. Would there be anything to stop the government creating an electorate of ‘Atalanga for Tongans in New Zealand?
More than a dozen countries have special seats for their overseas communities. France has 11 single-seat constituencies for French residents overseas to be represented in the National Assembly. Italy has four overseas constituencies, which elect 12 members to both the chambers of Parliament.
In North Africa, Tunisia reserves 18 seats in its Constituent Assembly of Tunisia to represent Tunisians abroad. In Algeria, eight of the country’s 382 parliamentary seats are for expatriates. Many Tunisians and Algerians lives in France.
These are all countries with much larger populations than Tonga and ones where the expatriate population is even more widely spread. However, it should be noted that many of them are not rich western nations, but smaller, developing economies like the Dominican Republic which has seven Parliamentary seats for its expatriates.
It may well be time to reconsider letting Tongan citizens overseas to vote. If Fiji can do it, why not Tonga? Given the experience of 15 countries around the world reserving seats for expatriate citizens, perhaps it is also time to reconsider whether such an idea for Tongan citizens is still “impractical and difficult to justify.”
The main points
- In 2009 the Constitutional and Electoral Commission Report rejected the idea of letting overseas Tongans vote in elections or having their own seat in Parliament.
- However, Fijian citizens are allowed to vote in national elections and 15 countries have seats in Parliament reserved for overseas citizens.
- Under the existing laws any Tongan living overseas can register and vote if they return to Tonga for the election.
- Tongans living overseas can, if they qualify, stand for election if the return to the kingdom for a set period before the voting day.
