The Friendly Islands Democracy Party leader Akilisi Pohiva has won by a landslide Tonga's first democratic elections.. (Photo by Selwyn Manning, Scoop.)

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC Newsdesk.

Tonga’s pro democracy movement has achieved an historical win in Tonga’s first democratic elections.

While vote counting is continuing, the results from those polling booths where vote-counting has concluded show a decisive victory for Akilisi Pohiva and his pro-democracy candidates who campaigned under The Friendly Islands Democracy Party banner.

Of the 10 seats on Tonga’s largest island Tongatapu, the pro democracy team won nine seats. The results from other outer islands indicate pro democracy candidates winning three of the seven remaining seats.

Constitutional reform in Tonga allowed its people for the first time to vote for 17 seats, while the nobility was permitted to vote for nine Members of Parliament.

Tonga’s King, remains head of state, but no longer will choose who the Cabinet and Prime Minister will be. And the appointed Prime Minister will choose the Cabinet.

Speaking for the Nobles, Lord Ma’afu told reporters that his group will support the pro democracy party should its members nominate a candidate as Prime Minister.

A New Zealand Foreign Affairs briefing paper describes Tonga’s political system as:

“Traditionally in Tonga the King has appointed the 
Prime Minister and Cabinet, which could include Ministers who were not elected MPs. Parliament comprised nine People’s Representatives and nine Nobles Representatives, as well as Cabinet.

“From November, the King will remain Head of State, but executive authority will transfer to a Cabinet nominated by the Prime Minister. The number of elected People’s Representative MPs will increase to 17, increasing the total number of elected MPs to 26. “

The democratic elections took place four years after Black Thursday in 2006, when 80 percent of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa was destroyed by fire during days of rioting.

A state of emergency followed where New Zealand and Australian soldiers and police assisted Tonga’s authorities to restore order, guard the airport, and gather evidence from a crime scene that circumnavigated the whole of Nuku’alofa.

The government, commanded by Tonga’s nobility, blamed the pro democracy movement for the arson attacks on the capital. But the newly crowned King George Tupou V. shortly after announced his intention to encourage constitutional reform.

Since then, Tonga has undergone a transition toward democracy.

Prior to the election, a recent poll commissioned by Tonga Media Council suggested Tonga’s pro-democracy MPs Akilisi Pohiva, Clive Edwards, and Isileli Pulu were ahead in their electorates, while independent candidates and those with close ties to the nobility were polling ahead in other areas.

The poll suggested those advancing pro-democracy policies look set to take near half of the votes, but that the majority would lie with the nobility. The election result has however produced a clear majority for the Friendly Islands Democracy Party.

Flash-Back

• Scoop video (2006): Selwyn Manning’s video report on Tonga facing change.

See Also:

• Scoop Video (2006): Tonga – Aftermath Of Black Thursday
• Scoop Video (2006): Hated and Loathed – Extended Interview With Clive Edwards
• Scoop Special Documentary (2007): Tonga – Class Restored