VZCZCXRO0151
RR RUEHPB
DE RUEHSV #0215/01 1382332
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 182332Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3101
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1219
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1013
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0838
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM ECON TN
SUBJECT: POLITICAL REFORM IN TONGA - OPTIMISM REIGNS, FOR 
NOW 
 
REF: SUVA 210 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR LARRY M. DINGER.  SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Government officials and diplomats we met 
during a May 13-16 visit to Tonga are optimistic about 
prospects for political reform over the next few months.  The 
New Zealand High Commissioner said PM Fred Sevele has gotten 
off to a good start, and has demonstrated a willingness to 
shake things up, pointing especially to a cabinet reshuffle 
announced May 16.  Reviews for the work done by the National 
Committee on Political Reform are generally positive.  Even 
Akilisi Pohiva, the People's Representative in Parliament who 
pulled out of the Committee earlier this year, praised the 
Committee's work and said political reform is on the right 
track.  Sitiveni Halapua, Deputy Chair of the Committee, is 
encouraged by the support the Committee has received from the 
Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, and says public interest 
is exceptionally high.  He warned, however, that Pohiva and 
others have unrealistic views about the Committee's work. 
The Committee will not endorse any specific constitutional 
model nor recommend a referendum on constitutional reform 
when it issues its report in September.  Those issues are up 
to Parliament to decide.  End summary. 
 
NZ High Commissioner - A Good Start for Sevele 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2.  (C)  New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga Michael 
McBryde told us Sevele has gotten off to a good start as PM. 
Sevele has shown excellent leadership qualities, something 
that could never be said for the previous PM, Prince 
Lavaka'ata.   Unlike Lavaka'ata, Sevele is willing to debate 
issues, and enjoys public outreach.  He is forming his own 
cabinet team (reftel), and clearly intends to try to improve 
governance and accountability in Tonga. 
 
¶3.  (C)  McBryde doesn't agree with critics who charge that 
Sevele is "in the Crown Prince's pocket."  Sevele's new 
cabinet appears to have been formed with a minimum of Royal 
interference, a first for Tonga.  Moreover, Sevele has shown 
he is willing to advocate policies the Crown Prince opposes. 
McBryde said the Crown Prince, who owns the domestic carrier 
Peau Vava'u Airlines, asked Sevele not to renew the license 
for Peau Vava'u's competitor, Airlines Tonga, which began 
operations on a trial basis last December.  Sevele refused 
the Crown Prince's request, arguing that a Peau Vava'u 
monopoly in Tonga is not in the Kingdom's best interests. 
 
¶4.  (C)  McBryde acknowledged that Sevele and Finance 
Minister 'Utoikamanu don't always see eye to eye on economic 
policy, with the PM far more concerned about social issues 
than the Finance Minister, and more reluctant to make budget 
cuts and implement radical economic reforms.  Nevertheless, 
Sevele and 'Utoikamanu have demonstrated that they can 
compromise on economic policy and work together.  So far, 
said McBryde, Sevele's "softer" approach to economic reform 
appears to have won out.  (Comment:  Contacts in the 
international donor community are far less sanguine about the 
Prime Minister's approach to economic policy, given Tonga's 
difficult budget situation.  Septel reviews Tonga economic 
issues in detail.  End comment.) 
 
Pohiva - "We are Moving in the Right Direction" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5.  (C) Akilisi Pohiva, founder of the Human Rights and 
Democracy Movement in Tonga and a long-time people's 
representative in Parliament, was upbeat about prospects for 
political reform.  Although he is no longer a member of 
Prince Tu'ipelehake's National Committee for Political 
Reform, Akilisi remains on good terms with members of the 
Committee.  Pohiva agrees with fellow People's Representative 
Clive Edwards that the Committee has incorrectly expanded its 
mandate to include social and economic issues.  Nevertheless, 
the Committee is "moving in the right direction."  Pohiva met 
with the Committee twice in mid-May and presented his model 
for constitutional change.  More consultations are expected 
in the next few weeks. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Pohiva is not interested in participating in the 
Committee's consultations with the Tongan public.  As 
People's Representative for nearly two decades, he considers 
himself in continual contact with people from all walks of 
life.  Pohiva has made it clear to the Committee, however, 
that he would like to be involved in the drafting of the 
Committee's final report to the King.  One key element of any 
final report, he said. should be a recommendation for a 
 
SUVA 00000215  002 OF 002 
 
 
referendum on constitutional reform. 
 
Halapua - Committee's Work is Only the First Step 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶7.  (C)  The East-West Center's Sitiveni Halapua, Deputy 
Chairman of the Committee, said he is pleased about the 
tremendous interest in the Committee's work and the response 
it has received in dozens of community meetings throughout 
the Kingdom.  The Committee will conclude its community 
meetings in Tonga by mid-June, after which members will 
travel to New Zealand, Australia and the United States (about 
one week in each location).  The Committee's final report in 
now expected to be completed no earlier than September.  The 
Crown Prince and the Prime Minister are very supportive of 
the Committee's work, with the PM publicly stating that the 
government is eagerly awaiting the Committee's report. 
Halapua said that activists like Pohiva, however, continue to 
have unrealistic expectations.  The Committee will not 
endorse Pohiva's or any other constitutional model, nor will 
it recommend a referendum on constitutional reform.  Instead, 
the Committee will report its findings to Parliament, 
including an analysis of possible constitutional reform 
steps.  It is then up to Parliament to debate issues related 
to constitutional reform and decide whether it wants to move 
forward with a referendum or take other action. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Because Pohiva has extracted himself from the 
Committee, continued Halapua, it is hard to see how he could 
be allowed to play a role in the drafting of the final 
report.  Pohiva will have a hard time understanding this, 
said Halapua, because he firmly believes that as a long-term 
People's Representative, he has the right to speak for the 
people of Tonga.  What Pohiva doesn't seem to understand is 
that the Committee strongly believes in letting the people 
speak for themselves.  Social and economic problems can't be 
excluded from Committee discussion, as Pohiva and Edwards 
insist, because the people who come to the meetings want to 
talk about those issues.  By the same token, the Committee 
can't simply accept Pohiva's constitutional plan without 
further consultation, as Pohiva seems to want.  Halapua 
concluded by noting that Pohiva and other activists run hot 
and cold on the Committee's work.  While Pohiva seems to be 
happy with his recent opportunity to provide input to the 
Committee, he will assuredly find reason to complain about 
the Committee's work later on. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (C)  We find the general current of optimism about 
political reform encouraging.  But, as Sitiveni Halapua 
states, the Committee's work is only the beginning of the 
political reform process.  Where the Government and the Royal 
Family will take the process, and how pro-democracy forces 
will react, remains very unclear. 
 
DINGER