Kalafi Moala
The outgoing Prime Minister Rev. Dr. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa gave his final speech as Prime Minister, not so much as a farewell but a “fare-bitter” rhetoric full of condemnation and blame on his political enemies.
The speech was broadcast on all the major radio stations and distributed in print through social media. True to his nature in his short term as Prime Minister, he was defensive and lashed out in bitterness against those he says, betrayed him by not giving him a chance to continue as Prime Minister.
According to Tu’i’onetoa, he had come to an agreement with those he had appointed to work with him in Government to “give him another chance” to continue and complete what he had set out to do.
He said the agreement they had was like a “sacred oath”. They were to stick together in unity, but after the November 18 General Elections, some of his Cabinet Ministers left and planned to set up a government of their own.
Tu’i’onetoa was elected as Prime Minister by Parliament in late 2019. He had been Prime Minister for just over two years.
Without revealing why some of his Cabinet Ministers left him, he went on to talk as if he has been betrayed. He had a short memory that he indeed betrayed PTOA in 2019 in order to win the Prime Ministerial election.
One of the Cabinet Ministers who left Tu’i’onetoa denied there was any commitment among them up to the General Elections. He did not want to be named but said in jest: “What goes around, comes around!”
Tu’i’onetoa was initially named after the Elections as a candidate for the position of Prime Minister but when it came close to the deadline for registration, it is reported he only had one supporter, his former Minister of Internal Affairs, Vatau Hui, representative from Niua. He needed two supporters to qualify for nomination.
The outgoing Prime Minister withdrew and gave his support to the ‘Aisake Eke candidacy. That gave the Eke group five in total number of supporters, to twelve from the Sovaleni group.
He lashed out in his speech and called those that did not give him support “two faced.”
Outgoing Prime Minister took one last stab at ‘Akilisi Pohiva and PTOA
Tu’i’onetoa also continued to speak vilely of his political archenemy, the late ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the political movement he founded. He seems to have voided any memory that without ‘Akilisi and PTOA, he would not have been able to enter Parliament in 2014.
But one would think that in his last public speech as Prime Minister, he would be more reconciliatory in his tone if not in substance. But he chose instead to have a last go at displaying bitterness, and a vengeful attitude against those who do not support him, especially those that had worked with him in Government.
Siaosi Sovaleni who was elected as Prime Minister was Tu’i’onetoa’s Minister of Education and Training. Poasi Tei was his MEIDEC Minister; Samiu Vaipulu was his Minister of Justice; and Tatafu Moeaki, who was appointed from outside Parliament was his Minister of Trade and Economic Development.
These four men were re-elected and formed their own support group to nominate Sovaleni in the election for Prime Minister.
Tu’i’onetoa had asked the people in his constituency – Tongatapu 10 – to give him another chance to continue as Prime Minister and for his government “to complete the good work they have done.” He claims to have had an agreement (and arrangement) with his Cabinet Ministers that they would support his candidacy.
Thanks to the PTOA split that gave Tu’i’onetoa the victory in TT10. The other two candidates that ran against him were PTOA members, of two different PTOA factions. Their combined vote tally was bigger than the votes for Tu’i’onetoa – 1550 to 1306.
Simply put, Tu’i’onetoa would have lost the election if the second PTOA candidate would have withdrawn from the race to support the rival colleague.
Tu’i’onetoa claims that ‘Aisake Eke would be the right leader to continue the kind of positive development his government has been doing in the last two years. It is viewed widely that a Eke Prime Ministership and government would be no different from that which was under the leadership of Tu’i’onetoa.
More specifically, Tu’i’onetoa made reference to the three members of Parliament who are associated with PTOA – Dr. Saia Piukala, Veivosa Taka, and Semisi Fakahau. He was not truthful in his accusations against PTOA, citing they were trying to dethrone the King.
If there were any plans, as he said, to dethrone the King, then he would have been part of it, as he was in the PTOA Cabinet until he took over as Prime Minister.
The inconsistencies of his statements made him out to be a leader one could not rely on to tell the truth.
He accused PTOA of trying to set up a government without the nobles. The three PTOA MP’s were in support of Sovaleni to be Prime Minister. On the other hand, there were noble members of the outgoing Cabinet who were expected to be appointed Ministers in a Eke Cabinet.
Not only was his speech filled with bitter blaming of anyone who did not support him, but he also continued to engage in elevating himself as the one that has done the best to the Country, including the saving of Tonga from the Corona Virus because of his national prayer and fasting programs paid for by tax-payer money.
With an insincere reference to “the glory of God”, the outgoing Prime Minister goes down in history as not only the one with the shortest time in office, but also the most scandalous and most unpopular.
He will continue to be a member of Parliament as representative for TT10, but only a weak member of the opposition, considering the poor state of his health.
END.
