9 Nov 2004

Tongan MP claimes state broadcaster biased

3:52 pm on 9 November 2004

A People's Representative has hit out at the material Tonga Broadcasting Corporation airs, saying that it is biased.

Fineasi Funaki, is one of nine elected MPs in the 30 member parliament, and he says he had compiled a programme to air on state television.

Mr Funaki says the programme aimed to explain aspects of the recent court ruling against government amendments to the constitution.

However, he claims that the programme was not allowed to air because of pressure from the government.

"The people are not getting the full story at all, because we haven't had an opportunity to give the general public the details of what the court's ruling was, and that is exactly what the government doesn't want us to do."

Mr Funaki has sought a court injunction to get the programme broadcast and a ruling is expected by the end of next week.