The people's representatives on a committee in Tonga set up to discuss political reform are holding meetings with villages over an impasse on a timetable for change.
The six pro-government members of the committee are calling for reform to be delayed until 2010 but the three people's representatives want change implemented prior to next year's elections.
Our correspondent, Mateni Tapueluelu, says the committee has agreed that there should be 17 elected MPs, nine nobles and four representatives appointed by the king but it cannot reach agreement on the timetable.
He says the people's representatives are remaining firm on their dates after holding meetings in villages which are also supporting change by next year but they are outnumbered on the committee.
"It appears now the government is getting their will through the committee and it's possible that the people's representatives will just get frustrated and just walk out from the tri-partite committee."
Mateni Tapueluelu says the committee is due to report back to parliament by the end of next week.
