Freedom in the World 1999 - Tonga

1999 Scores

Status: Partly Free
Freedom Rating: 4.0
Civil Liberties: 3
Political Rights: 5

Overview

In January 1999, the pro-democracy movement organized a convention to discuss a new, more democratic constitution, which has remained virtually unchanged since 1875. The government did not endorse the meeting, but allowing non-Tongans to come to the meeting and government civil servants to participate in their personal capacity showed a more relaxed attitude.

A partial parliamentary election was held in March to fill nine commoners' seats in the kingdom's 30-member chamber. The Tongan Human Rights and Democracy Movement managed to take only five seats. Some observers questioned whether this signaled a declining support for the pro-democracy movement, but pro-democracy candidates said media coverage was biased. Akilisi Pohiva, head of the Tongan Human Rights and Democracy Movement secured only 8,554 votes out of a total of 52,000 votes.

Also in response to the pro-democracy movement's call for greater government transparency and accountability, former lands minister Fakafanua stood trial for charges of bribery, misuse of public funds, abuse of power, and fraud. The prodemocracy movement applauded a criticism by Crown Prince Pupouto'a, who said in June that some of the kingdom's laws were "inspired by totally medieval interpretations of the scripture."

The country's longest-serving prime minister, Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake, brother of King Taufa'ahau Tupou, passed away. The prince was prime minister from 1965 to 1991, when illness compelled him to retire. Tonga gained full membership to the United Nations.

Tonga is made up of 169 islands in the South Pacific, with a predominantly Polynesian population. It was unified as a kingdom under King George Tupou I in 1845. In 1970, Tonga became an independent member of the British Commonwealth after 70 years of British influence. King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV has reigned since 1945.

The 30-seat Legislative Assembly serves a three-year term and consists of 12 ministers from the privy council, 9 nobles selected by and from Tonga's 33 noble families, and 9 People's Representatives (commoners) elected by universal suffrage. The 1990 legislative elections saw the emergence of a pro-democracy bloc that won five commoner seats. In August 1992, reform-oriented commoner representatives, led by Akilisi Pohiva, formed the Pro-Democracy Movement (PDM). The PDM favored holding direct elections for all 30 parliamentary seats and having parliament rather than the king select the privy council, while retaining the king as a figurehead. In November, the PDM organized a seminal conference on amending the constitution to introduce democratic reforms that were supported by the influential Roman Catholic and Free Wesleyan churches.

At the 1993 elections, prodemocracy candidates won six commoner seats. In 1994, the PDM organized Tonga's first political party, the Tonga Democratic Party, subsequently renamed the People's Party. In the January 1996 elections, pro-democracy candidates took all nine commoner seats, but only managed to keep five in the March 1999 elections.

In 1998, a parliamentary committee investigated charges of financial mismanagement and abuse of power against the speaker of parliament Noble Fusitu'a. The king ordered the investigation after receiving a petition of over 1,000 signatures describing the allegations and calling to remove Fusitu'a from office.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Tongans lacked the democratic means to change their government. The 1875 constitution grants the king and hereditary nobles a perpetual majority in parliament with a total of 21 out of 30 seats. This allows legislation to be passed without the assent of the popularly elected People's Representatives, whose nine seats represent roughly 95 percent of the population. Nevertheless, the commoner representatives have managed, on occasions, to reject legislation and the budget when joined by some noble representatives. The king has broad executive powers, appoints the prime minister, and appoints and heads the privy council (cabinet). The king and the nobility also hold a preeminent position in society through substantial land holdings.

Criticisms against the king, his family, and the government are not well tolerated. In 1985, Pohiva disclosed that assemblymen had granted themselves pay raises. He has faced harassment since then. In the early 1990s, he was fined for allegedly defaming the crown prince. In 1998, the supreme court acquitted Pohiva of criminal libel charges for a statement regarding the business dealings of the king's daughter, but he was found guilty of two defamation charges over comments about police minister Clive Edwards. The Tonga-based editor of the Times of Tonga was also found guilty of defaming Edwards and fined about $400. Michael Field, a correspondent for Agence France Presse, has been denied entry into Tonga since 1993 after writing about Tonga's pro-democracy movement and allegations of government financial mismanagement.

The government weekly Tonga Chronicle carries some opposition views. There are several private newspapers, including the Times of Tonga, Kele'a, and an outspoken Roman Catholic Church newsletter. Political coverage on the Tonga Broadcast Commission's Radio Tonga favors the government, and the state owns the country's only television station. In December, the Privy Council approved the establishment of a new public television service. It will likely be launched on July 4, 2000 to coincide with the king's eighty-second birthday.

Religious freedom is respected in this predominantly Christian society. There are no significant restrictions on freedom of assembly. The 1964 Trade Union Act recognizes the right of workers to form independent unions. None has formed because most Tongans engage in subsistence agriculture. The king appoints all judges, and the lower levels of the judiciary are not independent. The supreme court is independent and uses expatriate judges.

Citizens are free to travel domestically and abroad. Women generally occupy a subordinate role in this male-dominated society. Few women participate in the formal labor force, and they cannot own land or hold noble titles.