1 Jun 2010

Little information as Tonga voter registration begins

3:08 pm on 1 June 2010

Tongan voters are being told that they need to register in their electorates, starting from next week, but many still do not know to which electorate they belong.

In November Tongans go to the polls to elect a mostly democratic government for the first time.

Reforms announced in April allow for 17 seats for popularly MPs, with ten of those on Tongatapu, which previously has had a single multi seat electorate.

Our correspondent, Mateni Tapeuluelu, who's also editor of the Kele'a newspaper, says the Government has decided where the boundaries fall, but is not disseminating this information to all media.

"Some would have to register by next week and the [registration]team will move onto other towns. And therefore they have got to know that by this week and the beginning of next week. And that's why the maps of the boundaries should've been published about a month and should've been disseminated to all media."

Mateni Tapueluelu.

The Kele'a newspaper is one that has yet to be offered the information on the boundaries.