Transcript
Tevita Motulalo is a political researcher and former journalist who felt duty-bound to get involved for the first time.
"When King dissolved Parliament and the inflation is really high and unemployment also. These critical times when the King gives out the call for patriots and citizens who are willing to take the lead, for those of us who have been prepared; or had the training; or had the smallest knowledge about how these things work; it is our duty to stand up."
At 37, Mr Motulalo, is one of the youngest candidates, but he doesn't feel daunted and says there are some who became MPs in their 60s but who have acted politically young.
"The level of divisiveness and confusion is alot more now than ever. Case and point, the dissolution, and priorities are being misplaced for the sake of politics. I have been in Youth Parliament and for the youth, to their credit, they are not as controversial as the National Parliament."
If he gets in, Mr Motulalo wants to push for 'right to information' legislation where people can request information for the public good, as he says that would increase transparency.
Another candidate talking about transparency is former cabinet minister 'Isi Pulu, who was first elected in 2002 , but missed out in the 2014 election after falling out with now interim Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva. Mr Pulu says he has a clear aim if he returns to parliament.
"Just to make sure that the Government will run smoothly and accordingly because I gather from the last two or three years, there's nothing much. A lack of accountability, no transparent rule. This is what we end up with, nothing much and the people still striving to get some more econmical goals."
Mr Pulu was a founding member of the Democratic Party that Mr Pohiva leads, but he doesn't harbour any bad feelings over his split with the caretaker prime minister.
"Not the man, not the 'Akilisi his personal body, but the way he runs the country, I don't agree with it. I got into Parliament because of 'Akilisi and I will never forget that but that was when he was still 'Akilisi, the 'Akilisi we know, but lately he's starting to trust people he doesn't know."
Tevita Motulalo says the democratic movement seems to have forgotten its roots.
"We talk alot about democracy but alot less about people. And people live in society and community. The critical part of a democracy is people and their values and how they want to live. It is about them. We're not after creating democracy. Democracy is a means to serve people. At the moment, it is people to serve democracy."
Veteran broadcaster Katalina Tohi is the newest face of the Democratic Party, joining just after the campaign began. Mrs Tohi says the party provides a powerful means to get things done.
"When you go to parliament in a party, it makes things easier, particularly with what your constituency wants. What you want to move in parliament, or to pass in parliament, you would be able if you would be able to stand together in parliament and vote together. That was the very important thing."
Mrs Tohi is one of 15 female candidates running for a parliament that has been historically short on women representatives, eight since 1951 and only one in the last term. But Mrs Tohi says her gender should be irrelevant.
"Whether you are a man or whether you are a woman, it all depends on what you can do in Parliament, what you can do for the people in your constituency and what you can do for the people of Tonga. [It's] not so much about being a women representative in Parliament. It all depends on your credibility."
Mrs Tohi says raising living standards is a big issue she is pursuing.
The poll is on November 16th.
