Source: Radio New Zealand
Lord Fakafanua is Tonga’s new prime minister. VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
The election of a noble to lead Tonga’s next government is raising concerns over the direction of the country’s democracy.
Lord Fakafanua, 40, beat incumbent prime minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke – the only other nominee – in Monday’s vote for the top job. The country’s 26 elected representatives cast ballots for the two candidates, with Fakafanua winning 16 votes to 10.
It comes about four weeks after the cohort were elected in the country’s general election on 20 November.
Fakafanua, set to be Tonga’s youngest ever prime minister, spoke to RNZ Pacific following the vote and identified unity in the new parliament as a top priority.
“What I wanted to advocate for was for us to look back at our roots and our foundation as a nation, so we can work together,” he said.
“Because this continued divisive politics is not only a waste of energy and taxpayers’ money, but it directs us away from the real priorities, and that’s to lift poverty and build the economy and help lower the cost of living.”
Lord Fakafanua, 40, is set to be Tonga’s youngest ever prime minister, but not everyone is convinced having a nobles’ representative as the country’s leader is the best way forward. RNZ Pacific / Teuila Fuatai. Teuila Fuatai
Fakafanua entered politics at age 24 in 2008 after being elected as a nobles’ representative for Ha’apai. At age 27, he was elected to the role of speaker, becoming the youngest person to ever hold the role.
Since then, he has been praised for his ability to maintain control of the debating chamber and different factions in Tonga’s Legislative Assembly.
As prime minister designate, Fakafanua will now be looking towards picking his cabinet, which must be approved and appointed by the King. He reiterated his desire for stability in a new government following Monday’s vote.
“I would love to build a cabinet built on a general consensus for the 26 members of parliament,” he said.
However, despite Fakafanua’s message of cohesiveness, pro-democracy advocates have warned that having a noble at the helm of the government is a slide backwards for Tonga’s democracy.
In 2010, the country’s constitutional reforms were implemented to shift the balance of power from the King and the nobles to the people. Now, the Legislative Assembly is made up of 17 people’s representatives, which are elected by the general public, and nine nobles’ representatives, elected in a separate voting process by the nobles.
When Fakafanua is formally appointed to the role of prime minister by King Tupou VI, it will be the second time a nobles’ representative has led the government since the reforms.
Former political adviser Lopeti Senituli said while he believed Fakafanua had performed well as speaker, he feared that a noble as prime minister signalled a shift in power back to the monarchy.
Lopeti Senituli is concerned by some of the political manouvres being made in Tonga. ABC News
“What I’m worried about is that the reassertion of the nobility and the King’s control of government.
“The political reform that we adopted in 2010 was the relocation of what is called executive authority – that was transferred from absolute authority of the King to shared executive authority between the King and the elected prime minister.”
Senituli warned that a nobles’ representative as prime minister effectively resulted in less checks on the King and nobles’ powers because they were not accountable to the general public in the same way a peoples’ representatives are through the four-yearly general election vote.
He also pointed to the role of speaker and deputy speaker in parliament, which can only be held by nobles’ representatives. Lord Vaea, the brother of Queen Nanasipau’u was elected the new speaker of parliament at yesterday’s vote, while Lord Tu’iha’agana was elected deputy speaker.
“No people’s representatives can be elected to those two positions,” Senituli said. “So, we are at a disadvantage because the nobles have control over parliament and the deputy speaker and the speaker of parliament.”
Teisa Pohiva, daughter of the late pro-democracy leader and former prime minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, went a step further and said the outcome of the vote was a “sad day” for Tonga’s democratic reforms.
In a post on Facebook, she highlighted the disparity between the election process for nobles’ representatives like Fakafanua and peoples’ representatives. Both voting processes take place on polling day, however only nobles vote towards the nine nobles’ representatives resulting in a far smaller voting pool.
“New prime minister elect Lord Fakafanua – elected by three people into parliament and elected by 16 Parliamentarians to prime minister,” Pohiva wrote.
She also pointed out the close links between Fakafanua and King Tupou VI.
Fakafanua is a member of the Tonga’s royal family through his mother – who was a granddaughter of the beloved Queen Salote III. He has noble lineage through his father, who held the Fakafanua title before him. His sister is also married to Crown Prince Tupouto’a Ulukalala.
However, despite the criticisms, Fakafanua remains focused on the next steps.
He told RNZ Pacific he understands the new parliament is due to have its first sitting on 19 January, when the MPs and cabinet will be sworn in.
He said he feels “very privileged” to be elected to the role of prime minister and is committed to doing everything he can for the people for Tonga.
“I look forward to working with everyone and hope to have the support from everyone in the country, so that the aspiration of uniting the nation and bringing us all to work towards a common goal is realised.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand