By PMN News / Pacific Morning Show
A senior Pacific media figure is saddened by moves of the Tongan parliament to effectively stage a “media blackout” – blocking the public and media and from getting access to parliamentary sessions and debates.
This comes at a time when a group of members of Parliament have filed a no confidence motion in the government of Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku, and the Auditor General is reporting critically on the poor financial management of some government agencies.
The Editor of Auckland-based Kaniva Tonga News, Kalino Latu, told Levi Matautia-Morgan on 531pi’s Pacific Mornings that Parliament stopped updating its website with official parliamentary records and debates in June 2023.
And this month the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, announced that the House was no longer funding daily radio broadcasts of the proceedings of the House.
“The public in general believe that this a media blackout which was intentionally imposed by the Parliament to block the media and the public from getting access to the Parliament sessions and debates,” Latu said.
He said some believe it’s politically-motivated but he was saddened given the tremendous strides the Tongan parliament had made recently in terms of transparency and improving its relationship with the media.
He said in 2021, parliament launched a “Tonga Parliamentary Reporter’s Handbook” that was celebrated as a major milestone but the speaker who launched that book, is the same one who has now stopped funding the daily radio broadcasts.
“It’s really incredibly sad to me to see that Parliament has made such decisions because it’s ruined the good works recently to develop and improve its relationship with the media and the public,” Latu said.
The no confidence motion was filed by Tongatapu MP No 5, Dr ʻAisake Eke, last Tuesday which was supported by 10 other MPs – the minimum number required for the motion to be considered by the House, Latu said.
He said the law requires that the motion be considered by the House within 14 days.
Latu said the 10 includes two nobility MPs, so it will be interesting to see whether others will support the motion.
Watch the full interview below or head to 531pi’s Facebook page to like, share and comment on the interview.
