Akilisi Pohiva (#1 People’s Representative) replies to Lopeti Senituli’s (Press Secretary/Political Adviser to the Prime Minister) article about the November 16th Upheaval By, ‘Akilisi Pohiva
PARLIAMENTARY MOTION PREDICTED CIVIL UNREST AND CHAOS In 1993, I put through to Parliament a motion for legislation to stop the Crown Prince involving himself in business as it might cause social unrest and bring chaos to the nation. The Crown Prince, at that time, was a share-holder and director in many companies and was very much involved in business and commercial deals. The motion warned that the Crown Prince’s involvement in business would leave him open to selfish people exploiting him for their own benefit at the expense of his own people. That was exactly the case since 1993 up to now. His partnership with the Ramanlals, among many others and one of the root causes of November 16, 2006 crises is a good example. The said motion was tabled and discussed in Parliament when the Crown Prince was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence. All the Ministers and Nobles’ Representatives voted against the motion.
NOVEMBER 16 UPHEAVAL The crisis of November 16 was not a coup d’état as coined and labeled by Lopeti Senituli in his reply to ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki’s confidential report to the University of the South Pacific. It was rather a people’s upheaval caused and consistently activated by suppressive and dictatorial measures and continuous refusal of government to listen and respond to people’s grievances over a long period of time. The exercise of suppressive methods and delay tactics to avoid the vote on the people representatives’ proposals in the last session of Parliament for the year sparked people’s anger and discontent.
However, if, it was a planned coup d’état as unwittingly expressed in Lopeti’s report, we would all have witnessed a totally different picture of the situation- something that Lopeti never dreamed could happen.
Lopeti should have mentioned in his report that I was right in front of an angry mob that surrounded the Prime Minister’s Office to stop them from attacking him and from invading the Cabinet room where the Prime Minister, and a few others including the Speaker of the House, remained. They were guarded by a few police officers and one officer from Tonga Defense Force while people were stoning the Prime Minister’s building.
Lopeti also reported that there was a plan to harm the Prime Minister and other Ministers and/or even kill them. That was an unfounded allegation which requires solid evidence from Lopeti. The Peoples Committee for Political Reform will have a meeting to discuss Lopeti’s serious allegations and legal action will probably follow.
However, if there was such a plan, it could have come from a different group of people unknown to our committee.
MINISTERS FIND A WAY TO RELIEVE PRESSURE Lopeti, in his report, made a misleading statement that there were threats from the people at Pangai Si’i which caused the adjournment of Parliament session to the afternoon. What actually happened was that, the Parliamentary Select Committee set up to deal with the situation at Pangai Si’i demanded that people should leave Pangai si’i so that members feeling unsafe in coming to the afternoon session can come to the meeting. In fact, there was no threat and Cabinet Ministers used people’s meeting at Pangai si’i as an excuse to adjourn the meeting of Parliament to relieve the pressure from Peoples’ Representatives who wanted Parliament to vote on their proposals before the closing of Parliament.
The claim that ‘Uliti Uata and I failed to honor our agreement with the Prime Minister was not true as the agreement was subject to the approval of all members of our executive. Lopeti should have known that, as he was a member of the executive before he left the organization; that all agreements require approval of the Committee. WHY WE CALLED PEOPLE TO COME TO PANGAI Lopeti presumed that it was our plan to push Parliament to vote on the proposal with full knowledge that there was no way we would win and that would give people excuse to force Parliament. Lopeti must admit the fact that people’s Representatives are always the minority in our Parliament. And as suggested, there was no way we could have won if we had voted on our proposal. He must also admit that, the only chance lay with people outside Parliament. It was proved true when the Prime Minister was forced by pressure from the angry mob outside the Prime Minister’s building to agree to our proposals. Despite that, why did they want the people, our power base, to leave Pangai si’i and allow them, as the majority to win the game inside Parliament by default? We appealed to the people to come to Pangai si’i to show their support to our proposals and to demonstrate that we are the majority outside. And we had the right to do that. And Ministers had nothing to worry about if they were willing to listen to the majority. PRIME MINISTERS POLITICAL ADVISER CONDEMNED TU’IPELEHAKE’S REPORT Towards the end of almost three weeks sessions with Dr Halapua, Deputy Chairman of the National Parliamentary Committee for Political Reform on the report, the Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele put through to Parliament an alternative model. A week after, Lopeti Senituli, in a panel discussion on the Tu’ipelehake’s report, broadcast on Radio and Television Tonga, denounced and condemned Tu’ipelehake’s proposed model in the eyes of the public. He strongly criticized the methods employed in the conduct of the ‘Potalatalanoa’ and pointed to inconsistencies in the underlined principles being used as basis for the formulation of the recommendations.
Few days after, the Prime Minister, in a press conference with media, outlined in details the major components of government model and announced full support of His Majesty.
In Suva, during the Forum meeting, a broadcast officer of Radio & Television Tonga relayed from Suva through Radio Tonga a report that both New Zealand and Australian Prime Ministers supported the government model.
To further facilitate and solidify the process, Government submitted to Parliament on the last week sessions of Parliament an amended legislation to limit the chance of People’s Representatives from outer islands residing permanently in Tongatapu and provide a platform convenient for the return of the Prime Minister and some of his executive colleagues to Parliament in the next election.
In an informal meeting with Lopeti Senituli, he told me that Government would need extension of the time frame from 2008 election to 2011 election which is a departure from the model designed to facilitate peaceful transition. And His Majesty has probably endorsed this extension. HOPE FOR PEACEFUL TRANSISTION BREAKS DOWN Given all the above scenarios, the Tu’ipelehake’s proposed model is doomed thus putting all hope for peaceful transition under threat. It is the Prime Minister’s doing and Dr. Halapua, was right when he said the Prime Minister is fully responsible for the crisis of November 16, 2006.
Despite all the above, I made it clear in the same panel discussion with Lopeti that 60% of our proposal was in line with Tu’ipelehake’s recommendations. Hence People’s Representatives called for all members to honor the Tu’ipelehake’s proposal. But, there was strong opposition from Cabinet Ministers who insisted that there are quite a lot of other related issues to be dealt with which require further discussion and deliberation.
Lopeti should recall the appeal made by the Prime Minister in his letter to the Chairman of the People’s Committee for Political Reform, to remain calm and wait for the report of the Tu’ipelehake’s Committee. The general public felt and advised that there was a sense of sincerity and hope in the Prime Minister’s appeal, therefore our committee decided to set aside our proposal actions and wait. But, in essence, Tu’ipelehake’s report failed to meet the expectation of the Prime Minister and Cabinet whose future prospect for the next election shaken and uncertain, if the proposals set out in the report be implemented.
To save the Prime Minister and his team, Lopeti had to go all the way and fight to protect the glory of his master. Such acts are not only suppressive but arrogant and disrespectful. What will happen in the end, the game will be won by default because the seven Peoples’ Representatives lack the capacity to mount their rightful claim against the sixteen Cabinet Ministers and nine noble representatives who are there, as usual, to serve the interest of His Majesty, but not the people.
MESSAGES ON THE WALL. Six weeks before November 16, the seven Representatives of the People and People’s Committee for Political Reform conducted 35 meetings in Tongatapu. All people were invited to these open forums to discuss the committee’s proposal. Every meeting was broadcast on TV. There was no secret or hidden agenda.
None of the Ministers or Representatives of Government attended in any of these meetings. Comments on incompetence of Government and corruption based on facts truly stated by people in those meetings came out to the public on TV loud and clear. Lopeti should have at least made the effort to attend and respond to comments and concerns of the people that came out in all the meetings
All along since the end of last year’s civil servant’s strike up to November 16, 2006, fifteen banners were hanging at Pangai Si’i for more than eight months. Writing in one of these banners read as follows: “The rule of law is a fraud.” That banner alone is enough to explain the seriousness of the current situation. As, in the absence of the rule of law where injustices prevail, people will have no choice but to revert to violence. The said banner together with thirteen other banners were interpreted by Government Legal Authorities as criminal offence against the state. But, the Magistrate Court ruled against each of the fourteen criminal proceedings filed against me and few others who occupied Pangai si’i since September 2005.
Messages behind all these banners had gone out to the public loud and clear without any further response from the Government. People with good minds would take all the writings on those banners as signals to the general public and as warnings to government. Tongan version of writings in one of those banners quotes: “Tupou IV mo Ho Fale kuo fua kimoutolu pea ‘ilo ‘oku mou ma’ama’a” which equates to “Minemina Tikeli Upasina” in the Bible. That banner was challenged separately in the Magistrate Court and the ruling was in favour of me, the accused.
The Pangai si’i Committee submitted two separate complaints in February 2006 to the Police Department in Nuku’alofa with well documented evidence in support of the complaints. These two complaints, among others, had so much to do with the Shoreline Group Limited owned by the Crown Prince and the Ramanlals. Since then, no action has been done as to the legality and validity of the complaints.
THY KINGDOM COME AS IT IS IN HEAVEN On November 16, people had learned from experience that there is no guarantee that some concrete political reform will be accomplished at the end of the process irrespective of what Tu’ipelehake’s committee recommends. In that regard, Lopeti was right in his proposal action submitted to the executive committee of the people’s committee on November 2005 in his capacity as Deputy Chairman of Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movements. In his proposal action, Lopeti maintains that the People’s Committee should request the Prince Regent, HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a to show his good faith in the Tu’ipelehake’s Committee’s work by declaring publicly, that in the next election, all the members of the Legislative Assembly will be elected by the people. If Tupouto’a refuses to do so within two weeks, then the series of actions of civil disobedience will kick in beginning with: 1) the public boycott of the Tu’ipelehake’s Committee 2) The public refusal to pay their electricity bills beginning with the bills of November, 2005.
If the Prince Regent accedes to the committee’s request within the two weeks period, then the people’s committee will actively support the Tu’ipelehake’s committee. But, at the end of Lopeti’s proposal action, he said: “Neither of these likely responses will be comforting to us. And History shows that the most likely response from government will be ‘no’.” Full- stop.
The significant point in Lopeti’s action proposal is that his proposed series of actions of civil disobedience reveal his personal commitment and dedication to the cause pursued in our proposals. Unfortunately, he left our committee to serve the Prime Minister’s dreams which gave him no choice but to act accordingly.
Let us pray for Thy Kingdom to work on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Koe fo’i lea “FAKA-MA’OPO’OPO” ‘oku ‘uhinga ia ki hano taataanaki ‘o ‘ete ki’i veve (taunga) ‘o fakataha’i pea kapau koe ‘ai ke tauhi pea ‘oku kofukofu leva ia ‘o nono’o pea hili kihe “FATA” ke toki to’o hifo ‘oka fiema’u he taimi faingata’a'ia’.
Koe ngaahi paepae kuo fai ‘e he tangata ko ‘Akilisi koe ngaahi okooko na’ane paepae ‘o pukepuke tokua ‘e ‘aonga ‘i he taimi faingata’a'ia’.
Koe ta’u ‘eni ‘e uofulu tupu ‘ae tufitufi pelu ‘a ‘Akilisi pea koe me’a fakamamahi ko ‘ene hanganoa kae pehe ‘e he fanau ia koe “VEVE” pea nau hanga hifo kinautolu ‘o tutu he Novema 16.
Koe taimi ‘o Mosese lolotonga ‘ae feinga ‘a Mosese ke tataki e kakai ‘Isileli kihe fonua ‘oe tala’ofa’ na’e ‘i ai e ki’i falukunga kakai na’e hange tofu pe ko ‘Akilisi moe TEMO’ na’e ‘i ai e ngaahi mo’oni na’anau tu’uaki ka na’e iku laulaunoa pe ‘a ia ‘oku fakamatala ‘i he tohi matolu Nomipa 16.
‘Oku hange kiate au koe Novema 16, moe Nomipa 16, koe ongo tautehina pe ‘i he founga he kuo ‘osi pe ‘ae tutu ‘e ‘Akilisi ‘ene ki’i fokotu’unga “VEVE” pea toe tu’ulutui ‘o lotu ke toe fakafoki mai pe ‘ene “VEVE” mei he efu’ ke fai ‘aki ‘ene ngaue’.
Kainga Tonga, tetau pehe nai ‘oku fefe ‘ae fakakaukau ‘ae tangata ni? “TEMAU FA’AO ‘EMAU TOTONU, PEA TEMAU FA’AO MOE MAFAI” hmmmmmmmm!!! Ko hai nai ‘oku ta’e mahino? Ko AU pe koe TEMO?
Koe me’a faka’ulia koe ta’emahino’ ‘ene pehe fau’.
Kava Kuo Heka, ‘Ave ia ma’a Lopeti Senituli koe fai fakahinohino ma’ae Palemia ‘o Tonga.
‘Ofa ne heva ‘i he Vahanoa’
Siosaia Moimoiangaha
Fakamalo atu ‘i he ngaue lahi pea mo e loto ‘oku fai ‘aki. ‘Ikai ia ko ia pe ka ko e fakamatala mahino ‘oku ke fai, mei he ngaahi tefito’i mo’oni’i me’a, na’e/pea ‘oku lolotonga hoko, ‘i ho’o feinga ke fakamahino ki he kakai ‘o e fonua ‘a e ‘uhinga na’e hoko ai ‘a e 16/11, pea mo kinautolu ‘oku/na’e ‘i ai ‘enau kaunga totonu ki ai. ‘Oku ‘ikai ha’aku to e veiveiua ki he lelei ‘o e taumu’a ngaue kuo ke fai pea mo e kau poupou ‘o e TEMO ki he kakai fakalukufua ‘o e fonua. Makehe ange mei he ngaahi fakakaukau kuo ‘osi tukumai ‘e he ngaahi halanga ongoongo, ke mau ‘inasi ai ‘i he ngaahi ‘uuni me’a na’e/pea ‘oku lolotonga hoko ‘i he fonua, ‘oku matu’aki mahu’inga ‘aupito ‘a e tu’unga falala’anga ‘o ia/pe kinautolu ‘oku talanoa ki ai ‘a e ongoongo, pea mo e ‘uhinga na’e hoko mai ai ‘a e ongoongo ko ia. Ko e taha ‘a e koloa ‘iate koe ‘Akilisi ‘oku ha pea maatu’aki e’a mai ki tu’a ‘ou sai’ia ai ko ho’o PIKI MATE ‘I HE KAVEINGA NGAUE NA’AKE FUOFUA HU MO IA KI HE FALEALEA ‘O TONGA. PEA KE FONONGA MAI’AKI-’I HE TOKAMALIE MO E TOKATAMAKI, TOUTOU HOPO ‘I HE FAKAMAAU’ANGA, NOFO PILISONE, MO E HA FUA. PEA NEONGO KOTOA ‘A E NGAAHI TA’AU KO’ENI, NA’E TE’EKI PE HA ME’A AI ‘E MALOHI FE’UNGA, ‘O A’U PE KI HE PA’ANGA PE TU’UNGA MA’OLUNGA, KE NE FAKANENEFU’I KOE PEA MO HO’O KAVEINGA NGAUE. ‘I he mahino ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai liliu ngofua ‘a ho’o kaveinga ngaue, pea tautautefito ko ho’o ngaue ma’ae lelei fakalukufua ‘a e kakai kotoa pe ‘o e fonua, ‘oku ou fiefia ke poupou pea mo tokoni ki ha ‘ulungaanga ‘oku e’a mo ‘asi mai mei ha tokotaha pehe. Faka’osi, ko e me’a ko ia na’e hoko ‘i he 16/11, ‘oku ‘ikai fo’ou ia ‘i he hisitolia ‘o e mo’ui ni neongo ‘a ‘ene ongo fakamamahi. Ko e me’a pe ‘eni ia ‘oku tau faka’amu ki ai ke fakahoko totonu ‘e kinautolu ma’umafai ‘oku nau fai ‘a e ngaue ni kiate kinautolu na’a nau maumau’i ‘a e lao ‘o e fonua, pea ‘ave ki he fakamaau’anga ke nau fai ‘a e tu’utu’uni, ‘o fakatatau ki he lao kuo maumau’i. ‘Akilisi, pea pehee ki ho kaunga fakafofonga, ko hono mo’oni kuo ha ‘one’one mai ‘a e fonua ia, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha lea fakamalo ‘e fe’unga ke ‘oatu ‘aki ‘eku hounga’ia mo’oni ‘i he ngaue lahi mo kafakafa kuo mo u fai ma’ae kakai ‘o e fonua. Kuo maama ‘a e kakai pea kuo ‘a ‘a e kui ‘o sio, pea poto ‘a e vale ‘o ‘ilo.’Ofa lahi atu.
Hufanga atu pe mu’a ‘i he fakatapu. ‘Oku ou malie’ia ‘i he tali ‘a e fakafofonga, ka koe anga eni ‘o ‘eku ki’i fakama’opo’opo ki he ‘ene fakamatala. Kuo hanga ‘e he fakafofonga ‘o tukuaki’i ‘a e ‘a e fo’i masi pe koe afi(Pule’anga, Tu’i etc…) ki he paa ‘o vela ‘a e talamu penisini. Sai koe fehu’i??? Ko hai na’ane fakafetu’utaki ‘a e afi moe penisini?? Ko hai na’a ne to’o ‘a e afi ‘o ‘ave ki he penisini??Te tau tukuaki’i ‘a e tokotaha ngaue vale ta’efakakaukau koia ‘aia ko koe ia ‘Akilisi mo ho’o kulupu. ‘Oku ‘iai pe ‘a e feitu’u fakanatula mo fakapotopoto ia ke fakafetu’utu’utaki ai ‘a e penisini moe afi hange koia ‘i he misini ‘o e me’alele, hange koia ‘oku ke mea’i ‘i hono tutu ‘e he afi ‘a e penisini ‘i he feitu’u totonu pea moe lahi totonu ‘oku ne ‘omai ‘a e fu’u ivi koia ‘oku ne fakalele ‘a e me’alele. Ka ‘oku hala kete to’o hangatonu ‘a e afi ki he talamu penisini he’e paa ia ‘o hange 16/11/06. ‘Okapau ‘oku ke pehe na’e ‘iai ha fehalaaki ‘a Tupouto’a & Ramanlal moe Shoreline, koe ha na’e ‘ikai teke ‘ave ai ki he Fakamaau’anga??? Mo’oni e lau ‘a e Filosefa Siana “Koia ‘oku va’inga moe AFI ‘e VELA ia ‘i he AFI” Koe ki’i Banner ko’ena ‘i Pangai si’i fekau’aki moe fale ‘o e Tu’i kuo nau ma’ama’a tuku ia moe loi he na’e toki ‘osi atu eni ‘a e Hala ‘a e Tu’i pea na’atau vakai tonu pe kiai ‘i he kei tokolahi ange pe ‘a e kakai ‘oku nau kei faka’apa’apa mo ‘ofa ki he fale ‘o e Tu’i. Pea ‘oku ou kole atu ‘Akilisi keke tali mu’a ‘a e faingata’a ko ‘eni, pea ke fakafisi aa ‘o ‘alu ki ‘api ‘o malolo kiai. Koe 16/11 koe fakatupu pe ia ‘e koe mo ho’o ki’i Kulupu Pro Demo, kae ‘oua teke fa’a taku koe kakai kotoa ia ‘o Tonga na’a mou fakafofonga’i ‘i Pangai si’i ,’IKAI ko koe pe ia mo ho’o ki’i kulupu mahalo mahalo na’a ko ha .02% pe ‘o e kakai, pea ko moutolu pe na’a mou tutu ‘a Nuku’alofa na’e mate ai ‘a e toko fitu, mole laulau miliona, mole laungeau e ngaue ‘a e kakai. Koia ‘oku ou fokotu’u atu FAKAMOLEMOLE ki he fonua pea ‘alu a ki ‘api ‘o ma’u ha malolo.
Faka’apa’apa atu
Thanks for the plenary dicussions and again, I hope that the juries will be convinced to separate ‘Akilisi’s clarifications with the motivations that created the black November 16.
Given that your economy was still stable and the UN rated Tonga in 2006 way up on the list in comparison to Fiji, Samoa and equate to Norway (developed country)there is something absurd on the situation.
I though that you and your comrades would happy with the composition of Cabinet, 2/3 from the MPs and 1/3 from the King …. question is who is in power?
Why fuel to speed up the political reform overnight after all you have not answered the absolute benefits of your new model would create to Tonga… this needs ample times in my opinion to analyse the situation properly and develop mitigation measure for any fallshort on the system ….. not like Fiji and the Solomons, PNG etc. Why 2006?
Anyway, Tonga should change your political approach and tactics … be more constructive instead of destructive!!
regards David Tapiaka Mangere New Zealand
Well, Tapiaka,
Obviously, your analysis is only from 0.5% information of what you get or hear about the political and economic situation in Tonga. Firstly, I would like to let you know that the political reform did not just start yesterday or 2 or 10 years ago! It has been more than 3 decades! To say that Tonga’s economy is or was stable is a big joke!!! You have a valid point regarding political reform approach but the problem was….they(people representatives) have tried every way possible in approaching and still get no where! The government has a death ear to change or reform. Imagine the need for political reform 30 years ago! How much more time to your need for a small country like Tonga???? When such need is hugely suppressed……..it erupts and what a mess????
I appreciate your input though
‘Ofa atu, Koinonia
Kolinoa,
I’m so glad that you seems to understand what is really going on in our country. I’m pretty sure that 95% of the people in Tonga are greatful for your comment. What I was thinking about is, “how long did ‘Akilisi said that one day the people will wake up and there will be a disaster?” The government never learn! They think that no matter how bad they treat us, we will always “with them.” Even if we like it or not we will always take it because that is how we were raised! BUT this is not true! “One day people will rise and fight for there right, for there life, for there future, for there security and many more!” That is what was happen in November!
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