A no confidence vote that the Tonga opposition is pushing for is now at least a month away after parliament this week went into recess till the end of September.
For more than two months the Democratic Party has been pushing for a vote to try and remove the government of Lord Tu'ivakano.
It had claimed the government had lost the backing of the people.
But after a series of fortuitous delays for the government, the party has only this week been able to start outlining why it could provide a better administration.
Its leader Akilisi Pohiva says the government wanted the vote on Thursday but the party hadn't finished its presentation so won more time.
The Democrats have lost two members in recent weeks with one crossing the floor and accepting a Cabinet post and the other needing medical treatment in Auckland.
