Transcript
The first instance of a Tongan King dissolving Parliament was initially greeted with confusion by members of the public.
Some seemed puzzled the King had intervened.
Koro Vaka'uta: "So you think the King did the right thing?
Man: "I don't think so. I think it's better to go on the right way, the right way must be to finish up this [term].
Woman: "We're not feeling well, because we are with the Prime Minister. 'Akilisi is the best man. We don't know why [the King] is doing this to the people."
Others weren't too bothered.
Woman: "It's OK. Yeah. It's OK. Yeah, great job."
Man: We don't yet what is the right decision. We don't mind if the Prime Minister is gone or not. It is his, (the King's), choice. There is no choice but just to follow."
As the Acting Attorney-General 'Aminiasi Kefu points out, the powers are entrenched in the Constitution and have been for over a century.
"This power exercised by His Majesty the King is a personal royal prerogative, it is not limited by the law. The personal royal prerogative is worded in the Constitution to give the sole discretion to His Majesty. It is worded as 'as His pleasure'."
Which means no reason needed to be given.
Lopeti Senitulu, a former government advisor and democracy advocate, believes the Speaker's royal visit was excessive.
"It's overkill. They've gone for the jugular without considering other options that are available. I think the dissolution of Parliament should be the last option."
Mr Senituli says the Speaker could have used his powers in the House to greater effect and brought his concerns about the government to the fore in that way.
But Tevita Motulalo from the Royal Oceania Institute says because 'Akilisi Pohiva has majority support in parliament, the Speaker may have felt he had no other option.
"Whether he would have tabled it or not or made the motion into the House to carry through such a resolution. Given the fact that the Cabinet has dominance in Parliament, it didn't matter, which is probably why the Speaker just went beyond just reporting to the House and did what he did."
Kalafi Moala is a prominent publisher and former media adviser turned critic of Mr Pohiva.
He says the dissolution illustrates how the King is a safety net for Tonga's fledgling democracy and most people don't have a problem with that.
"They really still prefer the security of having a monarchy where there is the balance of power in terms of a democratic system where you need [a] check and balance. That's where it's at."
Mr Pohiva himself says he has no problem with the monarchy and denies trying to wrestle authority away from the King.
"I still respect His Majesty and the royal family. Government is there to keep the monarchy, to protect the interests of the monarchy because the monarchy is a symbol of unity and peace in this country."
But a former government minister and one time party member of Mr Pohiva, Sunia Fili, says the now interim prime minister should be honest about his intentions.
"He should speak it out that we are about to go on for the next step, as is coming on the news, that he is trying to take the authority or the Constitutional rights of the King. To us, I think that is what is in his mind."
However, the only Noble in Tonga's government says if Mr Pohiva did wrong, it was unintentional.
Lord Ma'afu says he was surprised by the Speaker's approach to the King which led to the dissolution, but is supportive of whatever His Majesty chooses to do.
Ma'afu says there were differences of opinion rather than anything sinister and he would never be a part of a government that sought to undermine the King.
Lopeti Senituli says fears that the past week has been a blow for democracy are unwarranted and the democratic reforms that began in 2010 are working.
"Sure it's not perfect but that is the whole purpose of democracy is that you continue to learn from your mistakes and you adapt and tweak your structures so that they live up to the aspirations of the public."
The political researcher Tevita Motulalo says democracy is not just about electoral processes.
"The whole thing about democracy. It is not necessarily the ruler himself or the representatives but that we have common rules and once rules are in place, that we obey it. We obey the process. It is not about who's in the chairs, it is about the rules that come out of the chairs."
Former media adviser Kalafi Moala believes the government has failed in its role of practising democracy.
"Democracy is a way of life on the universal principles of justice, of even distribution of power, of accountability, of transparency, of the rule of law. That's democracy and it is practised daily and it is the government that leads in that."
Lord Sevele is a former prime minister and says any negative view of the dissolution and subsequent fallout does not take into account the unique cultural parameters that exist in Tonga.
"All countries are unique. They have their own history, their own conventions, their own practices, their own customs. It takes a lot of time to study, to understand, to appreciate."
Kalafi Moala agrees.
"With all our differences and with all the pull here and there that happens politically, or religiously for that matter, at the end of the day, a Tongan still finds the social structure of having the monarchy, the nobility and that system...that is still the basis of their identity."
Tevita Motulalo says even Pohiva supporters will not take issue with the King.
"He's the father figure for the country as a society. Undeniably the King is the first Tongan and the last. He is the fonua, (land). He makes the decision because he himself is the fonua. If the fonua is undermined, he doesn't want to do that to himself and when you do discuss with even the hardcore reformers, when they elaborate, you realise they still are talking the same way as the other ones who are considered conservatives. They still want the same Tonga expressed in different ways and all those little semantics they clash over, they want the same thing. The King represents that. The community the 'Tonganess' of Tongan."
Lord Sevele says it is time to focus on the November elections.
"Let's accept that it is a Constitutional authority. There are good reasons for having such Constitutional powers and let's respect that. Let's move on and let's concentrate what needs to be done and look at who are the possible candidates in November and move forward."
The Electoral Commission expects a time table for the early elections to be clearer later this week.
