NUKU’ALOFA, 20 SEPTEMBER 2018 (RNZ PACIFIC) – Tonga’s Prime Minister has reacted angrily to the subject of a petition tabled against some of his ministers being brought up in parliament.
Matangi Tonga reports ‘Akilisi Pohiva burst out in anger in the House saying during his 31 years in politics there had been numerous attempts to get rid of him.
He said there had been many court cases and there had been a bad feeling in parliament towards him.
Pohiva claimed various petitions and last year’s dissolution of parliament were all intended to remove him but he warned that the people who elected him had strong feelings on the matter as well.
The prime minister was reacting to an announcement by the Acting Speaker, Lord Tu’ilakepa, regarding a petition that was tabled in May, calling for an investigation into seven government ministers, including Pohiva, for allegedly breaching the Constitution and other regulations.
The House is awaiting an Auditor’s Report on the accused ministers.
However, Pohiva told the House that their response to the petition will be tabled today and he moved for the House to work on their response.
