Bi-election set for 2016
Nuku’alofa Times
editor@nukualofatimes.tbu.to
NUKU’ALOFA (Nuku’alofa Times): Voters in the Tongatapu 4 constituency will go to the polls again in early 2016 to elect a new Member of Parliament following the disqualification of Mateni Tapueluelu. Mr Tapueluelu, who won the seat from Mr Isileli Pulu at last year’s General Election, was found guilty of breaching Clause 65 of the Tongan Constitution because he registered himself to run for Parliament while he had an outstanding court debt. Chief Justice Owen Paulsen ruled against Mr Tapueluelu earlier this month after Acting Attorney General, ‘Aminiasi Kefu had filed the case at the Supreme Court here in Nuku’alofa, asking the court to disqualify the now former MP. Despite the fact thatMr Tapueluelu had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court’s Registry Office, Mr Kefu said the process of rolling out preparations for a bi-election can continue. “Section 6 of the Legislative Assembly Act stipulates that a bi-election must be processed [once a member was disqualified] and there is no part of that section that says Section 6 must be suspended if there is an appeal,” Mr Kefu had told Kaniva News. Mr Tapueluelu has already been stripped of his salary and other entitlements he received as an MP. The former newspaper editor could only continue to obtain his salary and Parliamentary entitlements if the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution of the Supreme Court decision. Mr Kefu said Mr Tapueluelu submitted his appeal together with an application to stay the execution of the judicial decision declaring his election was unconstitutional. He said the only time the effect of Section 6 of the Legislative Acts could be deferred was when the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution. This was the only decision that could stop the Speaker of Parliament and Election Commissioner from beginning the process of holding a by-election. There are two Court of Appeal sessions each year. The next session will be in March 29, 2016. Thatʻs when Mr
www.nukualofatimes.tbu.to
December 24, 2015
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Mr Tapueluelu (left) has lost his seat in Parliament as Mr Kefu (right) confirms the bi-election
Tapuelueluʻs appeal will be heard. But Mr Tapueluelu can apply for stay of execution in January next year and such application could be brought before the Lord Chief Justice, Kefu said. Mr Kefu said a decision on Mr Tapuelueluʻs appeal should be made before the Legislative Assembly resumed in May next year. He added that he had advised the Parliament’s Chief Clerk to hold processing of the bi-election until any decisions on Mr Tapueluelu’s appeal was heard. But he said
it was entirely up to the Chief Clerk and Speaker of the House to make their final decision on it. Meanwhile, Tonga’s Parliament Office has confirmed in a letter to Mr Tapueluelu that he has lost his seat as a people’s representative in Parliament. The clerk of the house, Gloria Pole’o, says the letter from the Speaker, Lord Tu’ivakano, states that the Tongatapu constituency No 4 seat is now vacant and a bi-election is pending. More details are expected in the new year.
Deputy Prime Minister speaks at Second World Internet Conference in China
MEIDECC: Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni was one of the key speakers at the Second World Internet Conference , hosted by China, on Friday, December 17-18. The three-day highlevel Internet conference was held in Wuzhen and captured the attention of the global audience. Hon Sovaleni was among world leaders as well as company CEOs who were speakers during the opening of the second day of the conference on Thursday as well as the closing ceremony on Friday.
Hon Sovaleni told the conference on December 17 that the different challenges that all Small Island States of Pacific are now facing include “lack of economy of scale due to small population sizes, digital divide, tyranny of distance especially to remote areas and outer islands, lack of capacity and expertise, and lack of resources”. However, he added that fortunately the impact of Climate Change and the challenges that developing countries face can be mitigated and addressed with the appropriate and innova-
tive use of ICT. He also stated that eGovernment is a priority in developing countries due to the realization of the importance of having an efficient, transparent and accountable Government. He cautioned however that e-Government provides services to the connected and this will further marginalized those unconnected communities. On December 18, during the closing ceremony, Hon Sovaleni said that all countries are faced with the challenge of cyber security and crime, and they are obliged
to cooperate in governance of online activities. “International efforts should be made to prevent the Internet from becoming a hotbed of crime,” he said. Hon Sovaleni also echoed President Xi Jinping’s remarks, made at the opening of the conference, that cyberspace should not become a battlefield for countries to wrestle with one another. “So many business leaders and thinkers at the conference have shared their ideas of promoting green development and inclusive growth through Internet,”
Hon Sovaleni said. Hon Sovaleni said he hoped events like the World Internet Conference would be held in small nations as well in the future to drive their Internet development. Among some of the other high profile speakers of the closing ceremony were Mr Jack Ma, founder and CEO of Alibaba Group;
the former president of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz; Fadi Chehade, president and CEO of ICANN; Liu Chuanzhi, founder and chairman of Lenovo; and Robert Kahn, the father of the Internet The Deputy Prime Minister returned to Tonga on December 19.
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