Transcript
MALAKAI KOLOAMATANGI: There is not actually a large majority by any means but it's majority nevertheless, but the trick for him will be work in a way that will unite the parliament under him, which won't be easy. So he is still very popular and he is riding on that popularity and hoping it will carry him in the next four years. He has got a lot of work in front of him, in all quarters. So he has got to work very, very hard, and he's not getting any younger - he's 76 years old - so he will need a lot of support from his cabinet to do this work and that's what he signed up and that's what he will get.
DON WISEMAN: In terms of that support, he has now got behind him a number of people who have spent some time in parliament, and there are some capable people there. He lost a few, but he's got some pretty capable people hasn't he?
MK: Yeah he's got I would think of his likely Cabinet he will have maybe four or five good people who are experienced in their respective fields and now they have had a term under their belts and hopefully they will be able to carry a pretty sizeable workload, I would think. There is also of course the relationship in parliament with other MPs. If Pohiva can somehow get them behind him as well, that will be very, very helpful. And of course there is the relationship with the King that has to be managed properly and I think maybe through the new Speaker of parliament that will be possible. So he has got a lot of work on his plate and he has to step up to the mark.
DW: The fact that 'Akilisi Pohiva did so well and his party did so well, it is fairly strong criticism of the actions of the King and the nobility in terms of the dissolution of parliament, isn't it?
MK: You would think so. There was a resounding victory for him. It was a way for the people to demonstrate they were not happy with the dissolution of parliament, on the other hand I think you to not read too much into that. The Tongan electorate is peculiar in that they can wear two or three hats all at once and whether that dissolution of parliament didn't go down well with people, but you only have to look at Mata Ma'a Tonga and the way that the King was very supported, people cheered for him when he attended the game between Tonga and England, and you have got to balance that out with people's likely dissatisfaction with the dissolution of parliament. So I wouldn't read too much into it because there are other factors at play.
DW: Now you mentioned earlier this idea of a collegial style government. This is not the first time this has been brought up and there's no sign that 'Akilisi Pohiva wants to go down that road but what would be the advantage for him if he did do it?
MK: One, I think it will show him as a leader who can united the whole country, give him a lot of credibility, particularly people who maybe are not part of his supporting followers. So that would be good for him. Also you need actually a whole of government approach to things like the economy, climate change, good management, good governance and so on and so forth. You can't do that with a slim majority so you need to do that and I think if he did do that it would certainly add to his mana and also to the
fact that he will be acknowledged as the leader who didn't look to political expediency but looked to the wider good, looked to the future of democratisation in Tonga. And that surely, that must be, his priority, that that's above anything else. He has to get that democratisation process advanced to a more progressive stage. And you can't do that will the more volatile parliament and creating enemis here and there. So you have to look at the bigger picture - Tongan democracy.
