PM Pohiva should survive vote

TONGA – A political scientist who specialises in the Pacific region says the Tongan prime minister’s troubled tenure could ironically be his saving grace when it comes to defeating a looming no-confidence motion.

‘Akilisi Pohiva’s government will face an attempt to bring it down in parliament next week.

Pohiva’s two years in office have been fraught with accusations of inaction, opposition to changes in the education sector and the proposed signing of a women’s rights convention, and the loss of two cabinet ministers to bribery charges and misconduct.

However Massey University’s Malakai Koloamatangi said it looked like government MPs would have to cross the floor for the vote to be successful.

“Politics is about numbers ultimately,” he said. “The numbers in parliament don’t look like they will support a change in government unless we have people who are willing to cross the floor to the opposition.

Dr Koloamatangi said the criticism that Pohiva has come under may actually help him.

“The ministers actually are quite comfortable with the way things have gone, despite problems and so on. They enjoy what they are doing.

“It’s a comfortable life, it’s a comfortable job. When the attention of when something goes wrong is directed at the prime minister, the cabinet ministers arealso in the firing line.

“Remember, if the vote of no confidence is successful, not only the prime minister but the whole of cabinet, they lose their jobs. So they have got a good job. They are comfortable and they get on with what they want to do,” Dr Koloamatangi said.

“There is also this perception that you have a limited pool of talent in parliament. Whichever group you put in power, will not bring about radical change.

“Some people also feel that there are some people outside parliament who should be in parliament. We’ve got this thing, almost akin to ‘better the devil you know’. There has been that around.

“But also, although Lord Vaea has been touted as the leader of the opposition by the prime minister, a lot of people feel that a leader who is able to pull both Nobles and Commoners together is needed.

“But there is something against a Noble from becoming the Prime Minister. From what I have heard, there is a feeling amongst the nobility and also certainly from His Majesty, that it is time for the commoners to have a go at running the country,” Dr Koloamatangi said. - RNZI