27 Nov 2014

Tonga Democrats majority unlikely

9:24 pm on 27 November 2014

Veteran Tonga pro-democracy campaigner Akilisi Pohiva has easily won his Tongatapu 1 seat in Thursday elections but his party did not fare as well as expected.

Another high profile Democracy Party member, Aisake Eke, who been finance minister, got the highest number of votes cast on Tongatapu in his No 5 seat.

But the party failed to capture 3 of the ten seats on the main island and results from the outer islands are mixed.

The Democrats had hoped to win a majority and ensure a popularly elected government in Tonga for the first time.

Tonga Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva.

Tonga Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva. Photo: RNZ

Publisher Kalafi Moala, who has been working with the party, says they were battling two factors.

"There were perceptions that the party had split and there were a number of those that were members of the party who had run basically against the party."