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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000433 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TN
SUBJECT: TONGAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE'S REPORT CALLS FOR 
ELECTED LEGISLATURE 
 
REF: A. A) SUVA 262 
 
     ¶B. B)SUVA 233 
     ¶C. C)SUVA 100 
     ¶D. D)SUVA 97 
     ¶E. E)SUVA 28 
     ¶F. F)05 SUVA 613 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR LARRY M. DINGER.  SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C) The National Committee on Political Reform (NCPR) 
submitted its report to Tonga's Parliament on Oct. 3.   The 
King received a copy a month ago.  The report says Tonga's 
people want political reform but also want to protect 
traditional culture.  The report recommends an all-elected, 
26-member parliament, with an increase from nine to seventeen 
representatives directly elected by the general public.  The 
33 nobles would continue to elect nine representatives from 
among their number.  The King would select the Prime 
Minister, and the PM would select the Cabinet, all from among 
the Members of Parliament.  Reactions so far have been fairly 
positive.  The new King and PM Sevele aim to appease both 
pro-democracy advocates and royalists by focusing reform, for 
now, on election/selection mechanics and by not formally 
addressing royal prerogatives.  How long that strategy can 
succeed will depend on the King's willingness to voluntarily 
accept a subdued role.  End Summary. 
 
Committee Basics 
----------------- 
¶2. (U) In October 2005, after a large pro-democracy march and 
petition, Tonga's Parliament formed the NCPR, which in 
December began extensive consultations with communities 
throughout Tonga, as well as with the large Tongan expatriate 
populations in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. 
 The NCPR chairman was the king's nephew, Prince 
Tu'ipelehake, until his untimely death in an auto accident in 
California in July.  East-West Center Pacific Islands 
Development Program Director Dr. Sitiveni Halapua was 
influential in developing the consultation process, and he 
authored the Committee's report which currently is available 
only in Tongan.  Halapua is working on an English version. 
 
Presenting the Report 
--------------------- 
¶3. (U) Tonga's now-deceased king, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, and 
current king, Siaosi Tupou V, received the draft report on 
August 30.  A week and a half later, the king passed away. 
The new king has not made any public comment regarding the 
report.  He previously indicated to the Ambassador that he 
supports political reforms but intends to retain some royal 
prerogatives (Refs A and D).  His sister Princess Pilolevu 
while opening the 2006 Legislative Assembly in June stated 
that the NCPR had the "full support of Government."  However, 
she cautioned against following the examples of countries 
that "rushed into political reforms without the prerequisite 
preparations and the inevitable disastrous consequences." 
Halapua presented the report to Parliament on October 3. 
Following the initial presentation, Parliament has been 
examining the report and asking questions to the Committee. 
 
Proposed Changes 
---------------- 
¶4. (U) The report judges that Tongans are united in their 
desire for political change, but they also value highly the 
traditional social structure of the King, Nobles, and the 
people.  The main reform proposal is a 26 member, all-elected 
parliament.  Currently, the 34-person Parliament is composed 
of nine directly elected People's Representatives, nine 
Nobles' Representatives elected by Tonga's 33 Nobles, and 16 
members of Cabinet.  The King selects all Cabinet members, 
and until recently they all came from outside Parliament, and 
became Parliament members on selection.  In effect, 
historically, the King controlled parliament with a large 
majority: his Cabinet and the Noble's Reps.  The NCPR 
proposal would retain the nine Noble's seats and their 
restricted electorate, would eliminate Cabinet selections 
from outside Parliament, and would add eight new People's Rep 
seats, bringing the People's Rep total to 17.  People's Reps 
for the main island, Tongatapu, would increase most 
dramatically, from three to seven, but Tongatapu would still 
be under-represented. 
 
¶5. (C) Under the current system, the King appoints the Prime 
Minister, who traditionally was a royal or noble.  Current PM 
Sevele is the first commoner in the role since a British 
subject in the late 1800s.  The report proposes to limit the 
 
SUVA 00000433  002 OF 002 
 
 
King's choice of PM to Members of Parliament.  Until the last 
year and a half, the King selected members of his Cabinet 
without constraint, though not from among elected MPs.  The 
NCPR proposes that the PM appoint his Cabinet entirely from 
among MPs.  Reportedly, the NCPR does not address the King's 
currently broad substantive powers, though pro-democracy 
advocates have urged a limited, constitutional monarchy, akin 
to those of Japan or the UK. 
 
Reactions 
--------- 
¶6. (U) The report's recommendations would certainly move 
Tonga toward a representative democracy, continuing the 
political reforms that have been taking place gradually 
during the past year, including the naming of commoner Sevele 
to be PM and Sevele's choosing new members of the Cabinet, 
with the King reportedly providing an automatic blessing. 
Parliament is currently looking closely at the report, and 
questions have focused in particular on the constriction of 
the king's appointive powers.  By and large, public reaction 
seems to be muted but positive.  Tonga's Cabinet is 
reportedly creating a nine-member commission (3 from Cabinet, 
3 Nobles, and 3 People's Reps) to consider next steps.  We 
also hear that pro-democracy parliamentarians will be 
introducing a bill calling for an early-2007 referendum. 
 
¶7. (C) During the Ambassador's visit to Tonga for the late 
King's funeral, before the NCPR report had been made public, 
longtime democracy activist Akilisi Pohiva, who had heard 
leaks about the report, was unusually upbeat.  He indicated 
that Tonga's reform process seems to be moving "in a better 
direction."  He intends to continue complaining publicly, but 
mostly because he believes every government needs a vocal 
opposition.  Another Peoples Rep, Clive Edwards, remained 
very skeptical, noting it remains to be seen how much of the 
King's broad powers will actually be curtailed.  PM Sevele 
was keeping cards close to the vest, though he did mention a 
close-hold proposal to expand the number of People's Rep 
seats in Parliament and to apportion most of them to 
Tongatapu.  Sevele reiterated past assurances that he and the 
King have a plan to expand democracy in Tonga and to do so at 
a measured pace that will not threaten stability.  (In the 
last few days, Sevele has said publicly that he may propose 
increasing People's Reps to 14 instead of 17.)  Sevele told 
us that each time the King formally accedes to PM decisions 
on personnel and policy issues, precedent is established for 
a new "de facto" constitutional monarchy with limited powers, 
all without formal amendment of the Constitution.  Sevele 
indicated any effort to adjust the Nobles' political role 
would be "too hard" for now. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶8. (C) The NCPR's wide-reaching consultations have given the 
reform report an air of legitimacy.  The lack of any major 
outcry from the pro-democracy camp and Pohiva's private 
positive comments are good signals.  The sentiments of 
royalists are less clear; but the report's light touch 
regarding the King's powers and the emphasis on preserving 
the current cultural hierarchy may do the trick.  The 
democratic ideal would be for Tonga to undertake an immediate 
transition to a formally limited "constitutional monarchy." 
Some activists will continue to press for that outcome.  PM 
Sevele, buttressed by the NCPR report, has opted for a more 
gradual reform pace, attempting to appease both reform and 
royalist sentiments. 
 
¶9. (C) A key factor for the success of Sevele's approach will 
be the royal family's willingness to be bound by new 
precedents that informally constrain power.  The current King 
appears ready, to an extent, to be so constrained.  Other 
royals appear less flexible in their thinking.  The King's 
brother Prince Lavaka'ata, who recently was formally 
proclaimed Crown Prince, gave every indication last year when 
he, as PM, refused compromise during a public-service strike 
that he would stubbornly protect royal powers against 
democratic encroachment.  If, one way or another, the 
perception of reform ends up appearing stymied, those 
segments of the Tonga public who vocally sought immediate 
democracy a year ago would likely become intensely frustrated 
yet again. 
DINGER