Oku ʻi lalo heni ʻa e ongoongó ni ʻi he lea faka-Tongá 

The Tongan Parliament was told yesterday the Vote of No Confidence Motion could be void if they would not correct an error on a date written on the motion.

The date was written by Lord Tu’ilakepa when he signed as part of the 10 signatories required by the law to submit the Vote of No Confidence motion.

The noble wrote the date and it could be interpreted as it was either 31.09.2017 or 31.07.2017.

The Minister of Police spotted the numerical blunder and told the House the motion would be unlawful if they would not correct it.

The Speaker told MPs to correct the mistake and let the Lord Tu’ilakepa put his initial on it.

The Speaker said that although the Parliament has no policy which allowed the Prime Minister to provide a response to the accusation against him, Hon Pohiva was given an opportunity.

The Prime Minister said he would provide his response today Tuesday 21.

The motion was tabled in parliament by Lord Tu’iha’angana yesterday,  one of seven Nobles’ Representatives who signed it.

Six other nobles were Lord Tuʻilakepa, Lord Vaea, Lord Tuʻiʻāfitu, Lord Nuku, Lord Tuʻihaʻateiho and Lord Fusituʻa.

Three independent MPs who signed the motion were Deputy Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu, Vili Hingano and Fe’ao Vakata who Mr Pohiva sacked for misconduct last year.

According to the motion the Prime Minister was accused of nepotism by hiring his son Po’oi Pohiva as his personal assistant and is being blamed for putting people into a number of high ranking government positions without going through due process.

Hon Pohiva was also accused of trying to interfere with the king’s power and to remove the Acting Attorney General.

He was also accused for his attempt to dismiss the CEO of the Pacific Games Organising Committee but it was quashed by the court.

The Prime Minister’s part in defending his former Cabinet Minister who was found guilty of bribery charges was part of the claims laid out in the motion.

He was also accused for damaging relations between Tonga and Indonesia with his comments supporting the struggle for West Papuan independence.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Ne malava ke taʻefakalao e Fokotuʻu ʻIkai Falalaʻanga ʻo e Palēmiá he fehalaaki ʻa e fakaʻaho ne hā ʻi he fokotuʻú lolotonga iá ne fakaʻatā ʻe he Falé ke tuku mai ha tali ʻa ʻAkilisi Pōhiva.

    ʻOku ʻuhinga ʻeni ki he ʻaho ne tohi ʻe Looti Tuʻilakepa he taimi ne ne fakamoʻoni ai mo e toko 10 ne fiemaʻu ʻe he laó ke nau fakahū ʻa e fokotuʻu Fili Taʻefalalaʻangá.

    Ne tohi ʻe he nōpelé ʻa e ʻahó pea ne malava ia ke fakaʻuhingaʻi ko e ʻaho 31.09.2017 pe ko e 31.07.2017.
    Ne fakatokangaʻi ʻe he Minisitā Polisí ʻa e foʻi fehalaaki ko ʻení peá ne fakahā ki he Falé ʻe taʻe fakalao ʻa e fokotuʻú ka ʻikai ke fakatonutonu.

    Ne fakahā ʻe he Seá ki he Falé ke fakatonutonu ʻa e fehalaakí pea tuku kia Looti Tuʻilakepa ke ʻai ki ai ʻe ne ʻinisioló.

    Ne meʻa foki ʻa e Seá ʻo pehē neongo ʻoku ʻikai ha tuʻutuʻuni ngāue ʻa e Fale Aleá ke ne fakaʻatā ʻa e Palēmiá ke ʻomi haʻane tali ki hono tukuakiʻi ʻo ʻoná, ka kuo ʻoange faingamālie kia Pōhiva.

    Ne meʻa ʻa e Palēmiá ʻe tuku mai ʻene talí he ʻaho Tūsite ko hono 21.

    Naʻe tēpileʻi ʻa e fokotuʻú ʻi Fale Alea ʻe Looti Tuʻihaʻangana ʻaneafi, ko e taha ia e kau nōpele ʻe toko fitu mei he kau fakafofonga nopelé ne nau fakamoʻoni he fokotuʻú.

    Ko e toko tolu leva mei he kau fakafofonga tauʻatāiná ne nau fakamoʻoni he fokotuʻú ko e Tokoni Palēmia ki Muʻá Samiu Vaipulu, Vili Hingano mo e Feʻao Vakatā ʻa ia ne kapusi ʻe Pōhiva ki he ʻulungāanga taʻetaau he taʻu kuo ʻosí.

    Fakatatau ki he fokotuʻú ʻoku tukuakiʻi ʻa e Palēmiá ki he fakapone ʻaki ʻene haea pe hono foha ko Poʻoi Pōhiva ke hoko ko hono tokoni fakataautaha pea toe tukuakiʻi foki ki hono fakahū ha kakai ʻe niʻihi ki he ngaahi lakanga he puleʻangá taʻe fakafou he founga angamahení.

    Naʻe toe tukuakiʻi ʻa e Pōhiva foki ʻi he fokotuʻú ko ʻene feinga ke kaunoa he mafai ʻo e tuʻí peá ke toʻo ʻa e Tokoni ʻAteni Senialé.

    Ko e feinga ko ia ʻa e Palēmiá ki heʻene maluʻi ʻene Minisitā Kapineti ki muʻa ne halaia ʻi he fakamaauʻangá ki he ngaahi fakaʻilo ki he totongi fakafufū kuo kau mo ia ʻi he ngaahi tukuakiʻi ʻo ʻona kuo tuku mai ʻi he fokotuʻú.

    ʻOku toe tukuakiʻi foki ia ki hono maumauʻi e vā ʻo Tonga mo ʻInitonēsiá ʻaki ʻene ngaahi lau ʻo poupou ia ki he feinga tauʻatāina ʻa e kakai ʻo Pāpua Hihifó mei he fonua ʻEsiá ni.