No women appointed

NUKU’ALOFA – Tonga’s newly elected prime minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has been sworn in by King Tupou the 6th.

Pohiva was won vote for Tonga’s top job over independent MP, Samiu Vaipulu, by 15 votes to 11.

He was rushed home last evening with his family saying he was really sick, but Kalafi Moala, who works closely with the 72-year-old Pohiva’s Democratic Party, says he was just exhausted but able to return to work today.

A number of the independent MPs who backed Pohiva have been rewarded with cabinet posts.

The Tonga Legislature also elected the outgoing prime minister, Lord Tu’ivakano, as its speaker.

A women’s rights and welfare advocate in Tonga earlier presented a petition to the new prime minister to appoint a woman to cabinet from outside of parliament. In the past Pohiva has spoken out against the giving of cabinet positions to people outside the 26 elected representatives in parliament.

But Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki says the petition asks that the Prime Minister reassess his views but no such change of mind was evident when the cabinet line up was announced. Sixteen women stood unsuccessfully in the November election.