Tonga’s Democratic Party’s Secretary MP Siaosi Pōhiva has described a vote to return the power to appoint the Secretary for Foreign Affairs from the Public Service Commission to the king as “backward.”

The Tu’i’onetoa government tabled a Bill on June 29 as the Parliament’s Law Standing Committee Report Number 2/2020.

But Hon. Siaosi found himself a lone voice on the opposition benches, with other Democratic Party MPs supporting the new law including Leader Semisi Sika, Mateni Tapueluelu, Losaline Mā’asi, Sēmisi Fakahau, Penisimani Fifita, Mo’ale Fīnau, Veivosa Taka and Saia Piukala.

MP Siaosi told Kaniva News the action of his Party MPs was disappointing (“fakamamahi.”)

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According to Hansard, the Interim Minister of Law Samiu Vaipulu told the House there has been lack of agreement (“fefusiaki”) in the past while the authority was under the PSC.

The Prime Minister told the House the amendment was beautiful (“faka’ofo’ofa.”)

He said he supported the move to return the power to the king because the premiership in which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was under was being changed from time to time.

Hon. Siaosi insisted during the debate in the House that the 2010 Political Reform was meant to ensure all executive powers to be brought from the king to the people through the executive government.

He said there was a need to make sure the Secretary for Foreign Affairs was accountable to the taxpayers.

He warned the House that they should be prudent in the way they made decision because the move could open an opportunity for the public to criticise the king if anything went wrong with the appointment of the Secretary.

But the government bench kept referring to clauses 39, 40 and 52 of the Constitution. These clauses dealt with Duties of the Ministers,  Foreign Ministers and the king’s power to sign the Treaties. The government implied they gave rise to a need to make the amendment.

Privy Council decision claim

The move comes after the PSC terminated former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Mahe’uli’uli Tupouniua in October 2019 after the king’s Privy Council reportedly made a decision to move Tupouniua from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Palace office.

The then Justice Minister, who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fā’otusia said at the time the decision was unconstitutional as Privy council didn’t have any right to interfere with the government’s duties for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Democratic (PTOA) MPs

Hon. Siaosi’s brother-in-law MP Mateni Tapueluelu spoke in support of the Minister of Finance Tevita Lavemaau in his argument that the amendment was appropriate because the Minister of Foreign Affairs would still report to Parliament.

MP Tapueluelu agreed with the Minister that the mechanism of accountability (to the people) would still function if the Secretary was elected and appointed by the king.

In Tongan he described the Finance Minister’s statement as best clear example (“fakatātā mahino taha.”)

But Hon. Siaosi said the new law “has taken us backward.”

He said his father, the late Prime Minister ’Akilisi Pōhiva and his supporters had strongly pushed for a political change that the executive power must be accountable to the people.

“That’s one of the mechanisms of good governance in a democracy,” Hon. Siaosi said.

“In the 2010 the king relinquished his executive power and gave it to us under our Constitution’s clause 41,” Hon Siaosi said.

He said the PTOA party’s manifesto was still based on those democratic principles of accountability, good governance and transparency.

He said the reforms went through a very difficult journey to make sure the executives were accountable to the “taxpayers.”

The new law is awaiting the king’s signature before it is gazetted.

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