Democracy in Tonga
November 27th, 2010 at 6:00 am by David FarrarAudrey Young reports on the first elections in Tonga where the people elected the majority of Parliament:
The figure probably given least credit for the new Tonga is King George Tupou V whose progressive views are overshadowed by his eccentricities.
Nonetheless his long held ambition to surrender his executive power to the people is highly unusual.
Opinion remains divided on the King. Some say he is a true democrat and reformer. One less kind critic told me he is simply too lazy to govern himself, so that is why he gave up power!
King George, who went to Kings School and Kings College in New Zealand, said he would not have wanted reform if he had been educated only in Tonga.
“Like others of my generation, my education has generally been a liberal European education and I feel sure that without a European education, with a solely Tonga education, I don’t believe I would have been able to make the changes,” he told Bruce Hill.
Liberal European educations have a lot going for them. I hold a tiny amount of hope for North Korea on the basis their future ruler went to school in Switzerland.
Tags: Tonga
November 27th, 2010 at 7:16 am
I am veering towards too lazy. But lazy people are the best managers because they are happy to delegate and step back.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 7:43 am
As far as North Korea goes my money is on absolute power corrupting absolutely rather then a “liberal European education” kicking in. The vast majority of the Earths population know the difference between right or wrong, at the end of the day it’s individual choice rather then a liberal education that matters.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 8:07 am
What astonished me was that the corrupt bastard Lord Dalgety author of the Princess Ashika got a vote as a nobel because he is a Law Lord. It would appear he has escaped justice.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Actually should have given a link
http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/politics/20101125_tonga_nobles_election.shtml
How on earth 33 people getting to appoint 9 representatives is some how democratic is beyond me. Tonga has a long way to go before it can call itself a democracy. At the moment it is little more than a banana “republic” well monarchy
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Even worse Lord Dalgety is now the Lord Chancellor in charge of judicial nominees. I have only heard bad things about that man.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 10:04 am
I didn’t know that, thanks
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 11:00 am
It seems unwise to assert Western democratic principles to the South Pacific region and its structure of governance. There are valid reasons that formulate the ORIGIN of our Tongan Monarchy (I’m actually of Samoan descent), and when we consider them we may be in a better position to judge.
In terms of history, Tonga was once an island of regular blood-shed. Tongan Paramount Chiefs were notorious for their poor treatment of subjects, and this encouraged frequent back-lashes that led to internal village/district war. Ultimately, the proposal for a monarchy was only reached as a ‘solution’ to this culture of internal savage warfare, a culture that uttered no end in sight for the people of Tonga.
A Tongan Monarchy was the concept that would unite all people of the nation, and to put aside their local indifferences in honour of national solidarity. Yes, there are flaws with this ‘solution’, but was it not the better alternative to further blood-shed and warfare?
The Americans, the British and the German applied the same ‘solution’ to Samoa (my native homeland). To ensure the internal chaos over rivalry and disagreement these European imperialists decided to enforce a central monarchy that would eventually unite all natives. These ‘Western solutions’ proved faulty, as they only encouraged further rivalry between paramount Samoan title-holders who each fought for the title of king (tupu: tafa’ifa).
Samoa has evolved both socially and politically since its independence from NZ in 1962, with some valid democratic achievements along the way. I think one can expect more of the same with Tonga’s declining monarchy (which should ultimately founder) and the ingredients for this include patience and understanding of our customs and traditions.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Had my rant about it here.
http://hamishinauckland.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/tonga-democracy-in-a-banana-monarchy/
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
For North Korea I have no hope based on what passes for teacing in Europe’s Liberal educations these days.
Vote:November 27th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
In regards to the laziness of King George Tupou V (and with apologies to Edmund Burke) – All that is necessary for good to triumph is for evil men to do nothing.
While having 1/3 of Parliament reserved for appointment by the nobility, is that any worse than having an upper house made up of the nobility? It’s good to see one nation going in the right direction when so many others are going backwards.
Vote:November 28th, 2010 at 1:27 am
I went to Tonga College myself before ending up in Auckland Selwyn College for a year and then continuing on at University of Auckland. My education has solely been the European way (curriculum wise, etc,…), because @ the time I was in the island (Tonga), everything we learnt @ school (primary & secondary) were based on NZ curriculum. I sat the NZ School C and UE back in the island exactly as the same exam papers as they were teaching here in NZ in those days. Education inspectors used to come to Tonga in those days to inspect schools if their standards were up to the standards here in NZ.
I have to say that without those NZ (European) education standards, we (Tongan system) would have been lost (or still singing kumbaya my lord @ school as the main curriculum).
Anyway, I didn’t vote, because it required me to fly to Nuku’alofa to vote. I talked with many community leaders in Auckland and we think that we should have been able to make our vote here, but that was impossible. I think that King Tupou 5th is making progress for the country but I reckon that he should relinquish the power completely and run the country exactly as the UK. The king is only a figurehead.
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