28 May 2004

Call on Tongan prime minister to step down

3:39 pm on 28 May 2004

Seven MPs in Tonga have called for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata.

The People's representatives signalled their intentions by boycotting the opening of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

One of the Pro-democracy MPs, Fred Sevele says the demise of Royal Tongan Airlines has been the most recent of a number of bad incidents the PM has been linked with.

Mr Sevele says Prince 'Ulukalala was the chairman of RTA as well as being a chairman of the Tongan Trust Fund which lost the country millions of dollars a few years ago.

"He did say that he would bite the bullet as far as this venture with the Tongan Airlines was concerned. He should do the honourable thing and resign. He has resigned already as chairman of the Royal Tongan Airline next thing, we believe, is that he should resign as prime minister, I mean if you can't run an airline how the hang can we expect him to run the whole country."

Pro-democracy MP, Fred Sevele.