The Tonga Government claims the pro-democracy newspaper, Kele'a, is running a hate campaign against the Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele.
It is threatening legal action and is also asking the Media Council to investigate.
The government is particularly incensed at what it says was an article that added up the letters of Dr Sevele's name, coming up with 666 and inferring he was the biblical Beast or Anti Christ.
The government's new Information Minister, Afu'alo Matoto, says the views of the pro-democracy movement, as expressed in the Kele'a, suggest they are jealous of the prime minister.
"PLAY AUDIO:TONGA AFU'ALO"
IN:......Bearing in mind of course that the Prime Minister was previously in their ranks in Parliament. Probably they didn't expect him to get to where he is now when they agreed to the appointment of ministers from the ranks of the MPs.
OUT:...
DUR:...
But the Kele'a rejects the claim.
It says the offending reference was not in an article but in a letter to the editor.
