Tonga - Politics

Since 1990 a pro-democracy movement has gathered strength, challenging Tonga’s political system which endeavours to combine its 1,000 year-old feudal system with democracy. Under the present arrangements, elections do not result in any changes in the executive and only a small number of members of the Legislative Assembly are elected. The country does not, in consequence, have a developed party political system.

Tonga’s first-ever political party, the People’s Party, was formed in 1994 out of the pro-democracy movement. In the 1996 elections, four of the nine people’s seats were won by pro-democracy candidates and leading democracy campaigner Akilisi Pohiva had a convincing majority in his constituency.

In January 1999 the People’s Party held a four-day convention on constitutional change and, with the new name of Human Rights and Democracy Movement (HRDM), they went into the elections of March 1999 with the hope of raising their numbers in the assembly from the six seats they by then controlled. In the event they won only five of the nine people’s seats.

In April 1999 former prime minister (1965–91) and brother of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, Prince Fatafehi Tu’ipelehake, died. In January 2000, the King appointed his younger son, Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka-Ata, to replace Baron Vaea as prime minister.

In October 2001, the country was rocked by financial scandal resulting in the resignation of two ministers, including the deputy prime minister. More than US$20 million – the proceeds of the sale of Tongan citizenship in the 1980s – had been placed in June 1999 with a company in the USA that had apparently disappeared.

Having gained seven of the nine people’s seats in the parliamentary elections in March 2002, the HRDM issued new proposals for constitutional reforms to strengthen democracy and reduce the powers of the King. Though such moves had been unsuccessful in the past, the frailty of the octogenarian King and uncertainty over the succession now gave them greater urgency. However, in October 2003, changes to the constitution gave greater power to the King, and increased state control over the media.

In the March 2005 election, the HRDM again won seven of the nine people’s parliamentary seats, and the remaining two were taken by independents. In the same month two commoner and two noble representatives were appointed to cabinet.

In February 2006, Prime Minister Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka-Ata resigned and Dr Feleti Vaka’uta Sevele became acting prime minister, the first popularly elected member of the Legislative Assembly to be appointed to the post. He was then confirmed as prime minister in March 2006.

In September 2006 King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV (1965–2006) died after a long illness and was succeeded as head of state by his eldest son who was sworn in as King George Tupou V. In November 2006, when it seemed that parliament would go into recess before enacting democratic reforms, pro-democracy demonstrations turned into riots and looting, at least six people died and many buildings in Nuku’alofa were destroyed. At the prime minister’s invitation, 150 Australian and New Zealand troops and police came to Tonga to restore order, the King promised that by 2008 the majority of government posts would be filled by elected representatives rather than nobles and King’s appointees, and parliament passed the reforms.

In the elections of April 2008, with a turnout reportedly less than 50%, HRDM and its ally, People’s Democratic Party, together won six of the nine contested seats and independents took three.

In July 2008 the Constitutional and Electoral Commission was established, with the immediate task of making proposals for a more democratic system of government. In the same month the King’s spokesperson announced that by 2010 the King would surrender his role in government to the prime minister and that most Assembly members would be elected. There then ensued a period of confusion over the process for nomination of the Commission’s five members.

In June 2009, former prime minister (1991–2000) Baron Vaea died.