Nobles should ‘support government’

TONGA – A cabinet minister has called on the Tongan nobility to provide solutions to the kingdom’s problems rather than try and take down the government.

For the past month Noble Representative Lord Vaea has threatened a no confidence motion saying the government has underperformed, particularly when it comes to the budget and changes to the education sector.

No such motion has been submitted yet. The Constitution allows for no-confidence motions to be filed 18 months after a government is elected.

Internal Affairs Minister Fe’ao Vakata said it is unfortunate that Lord Vaea saw a no-confidence motion as necessary.

“I believe the nobles are there to support and build the government and if they are helping, if they want to help, then give us the solutions of what they think that government should be doing instead of trying to take down government,” he said.

Fellow cabinet minister Saia Piukala said the confidence Constitutional mechanism doesn’t help political stability.

Dr Piukala said the talk and threats were not a good look.

“If you look at the stability of the government, you can’t really run the government and after one year and six months then you change the government,” he said.

“Then one term will be just changing government and nothing much done to the country.

“So in terms of stability, I think the vote of no confidence, I know it’s in the Constitution, but for the stability of government it is not too good.” During the last term of Parliament, the current Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, led a failed no-confidence motion in the government of then Prime Minister Lord Tu‘ivakano. -RNZI

Landowners refuse offer of mine shares

BOUGAINVILLE – Landowners from the Panguna area of central Bougainville have rejected the transfer of Rio Tinto shares from the PNG Government.

Rio Tinto gave its shares to the governments of PNG and Bougainville, but PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill then gave PNG’s 17.4 percent to the Panguna landowners.

Representatives from the landowners’ associations, and parts of the rebel Me’ekamui group, have met in Buka with Bougainville government officials, and in a statement said they are refusing to accept the shares from PNG.

They said they want them held by the ABG for the benefit of all Bougainvilleans.

The landowners also said they condemn Rio Tinto for pulling out without resolving the social and environmental issues caused by the mine and say they will back Mr Momis’ efforts to have international pressure put on the mining multi-national over its actions.

- RNZI/PNC