Good governance should start with Govt, says sacked Finance Minister

Tonga’s sacked Minister of Finance Hon. Tevita Lavemaau said yesterday that it was his vote in Parliament that made Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva the Prime Minister. Tevita reminded the journalists “the whole of Tonga did not vote for him [Pohiva to be PM], it was my vote that made him a Prime Minister”.

Under Tonga’s system the people elect their representatives to parliament, and then those members of parliament elect a Prime Minister from among themselves.

Tevita called a press conference yesterday 7 September at the Tonga Broadcasting Commission in response to his dismissal.

He stressed that the dissolution of Parliament was a prerogative of the king, and an “ordinary common man like me has nothing to do with His Majesty’s prerogative”. The Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva fired his cabinet ministers Siaosi Sovaleni and Tevita Lavemaau from 1 September. They received letters of dismissal this week. Tevita also stressed that ‘Good Governance’ should start with government.

Without being specific, he alluded to a conviction that Cabinet decisions should not be made by one man or a minority in Cabinet.

“A Cabinet decision is collective under the principle of consensus – that is the norm in any democratic process. The Cabinet should make the decision. If they are not happy with the PM, they should let him know”.