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Disquieting News

© Larry Low

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Last week, Tonga's Legislative Assembly voted against two bills that tend to make one wonder. Etuate Lavulavu, a People's Representative member of the Assembly, introduced a bill to make seat belts compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers. There were six yea votes from the People's Representatives and eight nay votes from the Nobles of the Realm, who are chosen by the reigning monarch. If they wish to keep their jobs, they vote according to prescription.

Before questioning, the wisdom of the monarchy that still retains political control in Tonga, it should be realized that this lack of co-operation with regard to rather mundane matters, that one would think did not contain a lot of political significance, could very well be indicative of the monarchy's swan song.

As if that were not enough, the Nobles also defeated a bill that called for compulsory identification of taxi drivers in order to safeguard passengers, especially women and tourists, from possible abuse. This bill should be tabled in a category called Shooting Oneself in One's Foot for it can only send a strong message to the burgeoning travel industry in the South Pacific that Tonga is not geared for visitors. Welcome to the fairytale land of Tongan politics; a scenario somehow rendering coconuts, kings and sealing wax sane. No mention was made of pigs.

In 2002, the Reverend Suipeli Taliai stated that the Tongan Constitution of 1875 was founded on the principles of unequal value, unequal sanctity and unequal human rights among the Tongan people. At about the same time, the US Department of State stated,"the [Tongan] Government's human rights record was generally poor and was [caused by] the severe restrictions on the rights of citizens to change their government."

Where is Tonga going? If the monarch, King Taufa'ahou Tupou IV, persists in slicing cake in the palace, the country will go to hell in a handcart in a hurry. On the other hand, if King Tupou IV begins to feel prickles running along the nape of his neck, he may make an intelligent decision and grant some remedy for the malaise that Tonga finds itself in.

If the Government of Tonga,(read the Monarch of Tonga)persists in perversity, Tonga may one day - sooner than they think - look back on 2003 and 2004 as idyllic days when in truth a great many unfortunate events took place. One of the most telling was the resignation of the Justice of the Supreme Court of Tonga, who was unable to make the rule of law stick. King Tupou overrode the law and ignored the judgments of the Supreme Court. The second event was the demise of Royal Tonga Airlines. The monarchy was instrumental in both of the above events.

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