Tonga People's Party Explained

Tonga People's Party
Native Name:Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga
Abbreviation:TPPI (English)
PAK (Tongan)
Leader:Vacant
Founder:Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Split:Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands
Headquarters:Nukuʻalofa
Ideology:Pro-Chinese Communist Party
Seats1 Title:Fale Alea
Website:Facebook page
Country:Tonga

The Tonga People's Party (Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga, abbr. PAK)[1] is a Tongan political party founded in 2019 by the new parliamentary majority.

History

In the 2017 general election, the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI) was the only one represented in the Legislative Assembly, obtaining 14 of the 17 seats reserved for the popular vote. For this reason, ʻAkilisi Pōhiva remained in the post of Prime Minister, until his death in 2019. The remaining three seats were held by independent candidates.

As a result of the deaths of the Head of Government and in anticipation of the election of a new one by the Assembly, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa left the government with three other DPFI deputies, and joined to the parliamentary opposition, announcing the creation of the Tonga People's Party, composed of representatives of the Tongan nobility and independent parliamentarians.[2] [3]

On 27 September, Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was elected as Prime Minister. Semisi Sika, the DPFI leader, who until then had held the post on an interim basis, effectively became the leader of the opposition. Tuʻiʻonetoa formed a government and a parliamentary majority made up of eight commoners and nine elected members of the nobility. These seventeen parliamentarians became the founding members of the TPPI.[4] [5] [6]

On 8 July 2021, during a reception at the Chinese embassy in Nukuʻalofa to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), party leader Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa stated that the TPPI "learn[ed] a lot from the CPC-oriented philosophy."[7]

Tuʻiʻonetoa died in March 2023.[8]

2021 election

See main article: 2021 Tongan general election. In the leadup to the 2021 Tongan general election Infrastructure and Tourism Minister ʻAkosita Lavulavu and her husband ʻEtuate Lavulavu, who served as party deputy chair, were each convicted of 3 counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and sentenced to six years in prison by the Supreme Court.[9]

Tuʻiʻonetoa did not promote the party during the election campaign, and several cabinet ministers announced they would run as independents.[1] He was the only MP elected for the party,[10] but the party planned to name its members after the elections.[11] Tuʻiʻonetoa later complained of being "abandoned" by his former cabinet, who ultimately supported ʻAisake Eke.[12]

In April 2022, Tuʻiʻonetoa was stripped of his seat by the Tongan Supreme Court for bribing a woman's group T$50,000. This left the party with no seats in parliament.[13] [14] However, the conviction was later stayed pending appeal.[15]

Principles and propositions

Defining its fundamental principles as "love, respect, humility and gratitude", the party proposes to reserve certain sectors of activity of the private sector to Tongan citizens (as opposed to foreigners), return to free education, as well as double salaries of educators, and health personnel. Party leader Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa coined the term "fish theory" to describe the party's ideology, which is based on the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party.[16]

Electoral performance

Legislative Assembly

Notes and References

  1. News: Is the Prime Minister's party still functioning? PAK name missing from Cabinet Ministers' campaign literature . Kaniva Tonga . 18 October 2021 . 23 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211122115604/https://www.kanivatonga.nz/2021/10/is-the-prime-ministers-party-still-functioning-pak-name-missing-from-cabinet-ministers-campaign-literature/. 22 November 2021. dead.
  2. Web site: Parliament elects Dr Pōhiva Tu'i'onetoa as new PM. 21 August 2021. Parliament elects Dr Pōhiva Tu‘i‘onetoa as new PM.
  3. Web site: 26 September 2019. Last day in Tonga for PM nominations. 21 August 2021. RNZ. en-nz.
  4. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/399761/tonga-mps-choose-tu-i-onetoa-as-new-prime-minister "Tonga MPs choose Tu'i'onetoa as new prime minister"
  5. https://matangitonga.to/2019/10/10/tonga-s-new-cabinet "Tonga’s new Cabinet"
  6. https://www.facebook.com/Tonga-Peoples-Party-Inc-102728741394032/photos/140793924254180 "Tonga People's Party Inc."
  7. Web site: 9 July 2021 . Tonga People's Party inspired by Communist Party of China, says PM . 21 August 2021 . Matangi Tonga . en.
  8. News: Former PM, Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa dies in US . 20 March 2023 . Matangi Tonga . 20 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230320051232/https://matangitonga.to/2023/03/20/former-pm-pohiva-tu-i-onetoa-dies-us . 20 March 2023 . Nukuʻalofa.
  9. News: Tongan MP and former MP sentenced to six years jail . 23 December 2021 . . 2 July 2021.
  10. Web site: Election 2021 – the end of an era! . Talanoa O Tonga . Kalafi Moala . 21 November 2021 . 23 December 2021.
  11. Web site: Party MPs, independents and Nobles prepare to make deals and form alliances to elect PM . Kaniva Tonga . 22 November 2021 . 23 December 2021.
  12. Web site: Unsuccessful premiership contender Tu'i'onetoa expresses bitterness at being abandoned; continues falsely attacking Democrats . Kaniva Tonga . 13 December 2021 . 23 December 2021.
  13. Web site: Disgraced former PM Pōhiva Tu'i'onetoa loses seat through electoral petition: reports . Kaniva Tonga . 29 April 2022 . 2 May 2022.
  14. Web site: If I had wanted to buy votes I would have made sure they got the money, former PM tells court, but judge says bribery occurred, voids election . Philip Cass . Kaniva Tonga . 1 May 2022 . 2 May 2022.
  15. News: Convicted Tongan MPs win stays ahead of appeals . 28 May 2022 . RNZ . 26 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220528044436/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/467910/convicted-tongan-mps-win-stays-ahead-of-appeals. 28 May 2022. live.
  16. News: 11 August 2021. Chairman Tu'i'onetoa and Chairman Mao of China have something in common. 22 December 2021. TALANOA O TONGA. https://web.archive.org/web/20211223063207/https://talanoaotonga.com/chairman-tuionetoa-and-chairman-mao-of-china-have-something-in-common/ . 23 December 2021. dead. en-US.