On Christmas Eve, MPs in Tonga will choose a new prime minister after the resignation of Hu'akavameliku Siaosi Sovaleni on December 9.
Mr Sovaleni was about to face a vote of no confidence and realised he had lost the backing of three nobles in his Cabinet, meaning he couldn't win such a vote.
Just who will take over the role will have less than a year as prime minister because the country hold its general election at the end of 2025.
Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
Don Wiseman asked RNZ Pacific's Tonga correspondent, Kalafi Moala, who is shaping up as the likely successor?
Kalafi Moala: For those that were calling for a vote of no confidence, in other words, the opposition group, "Aisake Eke is the man that they have as their candidate, and because he is the single candidate from that group, it looks most likely that he could, by next Tuesday, be elected as the next prime minister.
Don Wiseman: We might come back to him in a moment. But there are other potential candidates?
KM: From the opposition group there were two other candidates, Dr Fusimalohi - Taniela Fusimalohi from Eua, and Dr ʻUhilamoelangi Fasi from Tongatapu No 2. They were talked about as possible candidates from the group, but the latest that we have got was that they were not going to be divided. But from the group that belongs to the former prime minister, the group that is still in government, Dr Viliami Latu, has been talked about as a candidate that would come in for that group. So those are basically the two major names that are being talked about, 'Aisake Eke for the opposition and Viliami Latu for those in government. But I think with the numbers in parliament that are supportive of the opposition group, 'Aisake Eke looks the most likely one.
DW: Well, 'Aisake Eke has been in parliament for a fair while. I know he did lose one election, and he's been in cabinet previously. He's not someone who's distinguished himself has he?
KM: No, he came in with a couple of different portfolios. He's notable for the fact that he was the minister of finance for the very first reformed government under the nobleTu'ivakano and then when 'Akilisi Pohiva became the prime minister in 2014 he continued to have him as his finance minister. A couple of controversial things about 'Aisake, particularly in the transparency area. Otherwise, he's been pretty much a stable guy in government, not so much as a leader, but somebody who was there occupying a government position.
DW: The reasons for the vote of no confidence have now been published by the legislature, and they make for quite interesting reading, don't they?
KM: Sure does yeah.
DW: A wide ranging list of alleged crimes by the Sovaleni Government But are they justified do you think?
KM: Actually you can take the same list and apply to any government previously? What is lacking in the list a very specific things that maybe of a criminal nature, that doesn't need a vote of no confidence, it needs to go to the prosecution, and that's what's lacking in that list. Their allegations, those things that may be quite normal to have some concerns about, but of course, they wouldn't be listing all the different things that have been achieved by this government compared with previous governments.
DW: This issue of the apparent stand-off between the Palace Office and the Prime Minister's Office and the outgoing government, no mention of that. And you'd have to wonder whether that's going to become an issue in whatever new government emerges.
KM: That's correct. Don, As far as I'm concerned is a journalist, a reporter from right here in Tonga, to me, that's the biggest issue at stake here. It's the strained relationship between the Prime Minister and His Majesty. It's been made more apparent, and the silence, particularly from the Palace Office, is not helping the situation. Mr. Sovaleni himself has already aired or given expression of how he has tried his best to keep a close relationship, but it hasn't been accepted. He has referred to that after he resigned.
So who is going to be elected prime minister next week, and the kind of government that they're going to - it's not going to solve the actual problem in Tonga, where the monarch and the prime minister could not work together. And even though you may change the Prime Minister, in a sense, it will still be the monarch that will be dictating things, rather than a government. So that's a big issue, and there's no word on that.
Grounds put forward for vote of no confidence:
- The Tonga Legislature has published the seven allegations made against the former prime minister, Hu'akavameliku Siaosi Sovaleni, in a planned vote of no confidence last week.
- Among the allegations made by opposition MP 'Aisake Eke and 11 others, was a claim the government overspent its budget for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' meeting in August.
- The MPs said there was a lack of transparency from the government on how much was being spent preparing for the hosting.
- They were also critical of the failure to complete a project to rehouse people whose homes were destroyed by the tsunami three years ago.
- The MPs also claimed the government had mishandled the state owned Lulutai Airlines, which has been plagued with problems over the past two years.
- They said despite government investment of $23 million pa'anga no reports were submitted to parliament on Lulutai's issues.
- There is an ongoing legal scrap between the Kingdom's two state owned banks which the MPs felt could lead to a great loss of public money in legal fees.
- There were also criticisms of the government decision to stop the secondary school entrance exams and other moves in the education sector.
