Kalafi Moala
While churches all over Tonga have concluded their annual prayer week at the beginning of each year, the question remains as to where we as a nation is heading in 2022?
The purpose of the prayer week at this time each year is to bring spiritual renewal to the people of the church, and to pray intensively for the new year asking God for protection, provision, direction, and a peaceful conduct of life.
Looking back over 2021, there is not that much difference in January 2022 concerning what dominated Tongan society. We seem to be at a better place compared with January 2021, even though there are still a lot of “unfinished business” to be fixed from the old year.
And the reason we are in a better place is because we have a new Prime Minister and a new Cabinet ready to take on the next four years. The new people in charge of government seem to have very little problems of their own except what is allegedly inherited from the previous government.
Strong and weak links
But the new government in its first 100 days will have to prove that it is more trustworthy than the previous one. But even as the year starts out, it becomes obvious that the new Cabinet has its strengths and weaknesses.
The members of the new Cabinet are either a strong link for the government or a weak link. It has been said that in a chain, it is the weakest link that determines its overall strength.
So far, the weakest link in the new administration is the former Governor from Ha’apai 12, and newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry – Manu’opangai Hingano.
As the new Cabinet had its first week in government, Hingano was hurriedly taken to New Zealand for emergency treatment of what is reported as cancer. But its not just the health of Mr. Hingano that is of concern to the public, even though the question asked has not been answered: “Why is good health not a requirement for those standing for political office?” Mr. Hingano’s first act as Minister was to be taken for treatment in New Zealand.
But that’s not all. He is one of the new Ministers that has a recent criminal record when he was fined $12,000 for possession of an excessive amount of turtle meat. Despite his record, Hingano was a successful candidate for Parliament from Ha’apai 12 on the November 18th election.
Hingano is definitely the weakest link in the power chain of this new government. Critics have voiced the question as to why Hingano was selected from among others with a better record to be part of the new Government?
The new Cabinet is a political power group with so much strength, however. Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku himself maybe the strongest link in the chain. But others like Ms. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Tatafu Moeaki, Minister of Finance, are also strong links in this governance chain.
We have reasons to be more optimistic about the new government compared with the last lot who were in power. It would be naive however to forget that some of the Ministers in this new Cabinet were also key Ministers in the last government.
But as we look forward with optimism for this year, we cannot help but be cautious in hope.
Most of us are of the same mindset, that whenever we are in a place where we move into a future of uncertainty, we need to take a look back to where we’ve come from. At this time, we are not taking a long look back, but a short one to see what the year we’ve left behind has been like.
Still a Covid Year
Covid 19 dominated Tonga’s consciousness at the beginning of 2021. News from other countries on how the pandemic has spread with fatal impact brought a lot of serious concerns to health officials and the people of the kingdom.
And as we begin 2022, a new version of the virus – omicron – has broken out in many countries including our neighbor Fiji.
Tonga needed to take precautions. The issue as communicated by the Minister of Health was “not if we were to get the virus but when!” The Ministry carried out effective communication on many media platforms about Covid-19.
Vaccines were promised to arrive soon, and it did in March, offering protection from the Covid virus. Not a perfect protection, but better protection than if you were not vaccinated. At least that is what the health scientists said.
What may have marked 2021 as far as Covid was concerned was the excessive amount of misinformation in opposition to vaccination. It became a stream of fanaticism when it took on a religious flavor with questionable ideology and passion. Pentecostal religious ministers led the misinformation drive in Tonga.
One of the challenges of 2021 was the positive test result for the Covid virus on a passenger returning to Tonga on a repatriation flight from New Zealand in September. It proved later that it was only a “weak virus” that was not infectious, and thus Tonga returned to its Covid-free status after a one week lockdown.
But this scare of the virus arriving in Tonga did one thing: it increased substantially the number of people who went in to get vaccinated. By the end of the year, 96% (73,919) of those eligible (12+ years old and above) got their first dose. And 82% (63,424) were fully vaccinated.
A vote of no-confidence
But there was something else that preoccupied the thinking of Tongans, at least those in the capital of Nuku’alofa in January. A vote of no-confidence has been issued on the Prime Minister, Rev. Dr. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, and on January 13 he survived the vote of no confidence.
He was set to continue as Prime Minister, until he was voted out in December. He was barely re-elected for Tongatapu 10, but he lost support for him to continue as Prime Minister, not even to be a Cabinet Minister. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked with scandals, criminal allegations, and public distrust.
The biggest criminal verdict of the year was that concerning the Lavulavu’s; it had become the corruption prosecution case of the decade. Akosita Lavulavu was not only a Minister under Tu’i’onetoa, but her husband ‘Etuate was the Deputy Chair of the PAK party, Tu’ionetoa being the chairperson.
Politically significant about 2021 was the elimination of the two political groups – PTOA and PAK – from any significant presence in Parliament and in Government. Each of these two groups made irreparable mistakes with fragmentations and splits. They defeated themselves!
The King stepped in
It was at the opening of Parliament in 2021, as well as the closing, that His Majesty King Tupou VI was candid in his speeches, as regards a number of flaws with the responsibilities of Parliament and consequently the Government.
He called for changes, and urged voters to “vote wisely” at the general elections which took place in November 18th.
People picked this up as a call for change, and even a call for the prioritizing of needs in the nation that must be addressed.
The King addressed a national symposium on the problem of illicit drugs, and a plan was hatched on how to strengthen the ongoing efforts of battling drugs. Illicit drugs. Collaboration among key stakeholders produce a plan that would deal with supply reduction, harm reduction, and demand reduction for illicit drugs.
During the last few days of the year (December 20-29) there were 32 arrests for drugs in different locations of Tongatapu. Court appearances are pending at the beginning of the new year.
Opportunity to make a difference
If ever there is a government since 2010 that has been given the “thumps up” to try and make a difference, its this new Government led by Hon. Hu’akavameiliku.
They need to be given a chance to carry out their vision and version of good governance.
A perfect government is a myth, but there is a lot of good training and experience in this Cabinet. We are not being misled by putting hope in these leaders to take us forward to a better Tonga.
There are lots of unfinished business from last year. There are new things to do this year. There are things to be corrected. There are toxic people in the civil service that need to be sent home; and there are new ones that need to be employed.
At the end of the day, it is the service rendered to the people of Tonga, and how these services are carried out that will make a difference. And it will take wisdom, self-sacrifice, commitment, and hard work to get there. God help us!
END.