Prime Minister-designate ‘Aisake Eke met with King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa this morning. Details of their meeting remain undisclosed.
The discussion between Eke and the monarch was private, and no official statement has been issued about the contents of the conversation.
Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, Paula Ma’u, confirmed to Tonga Broadcasting that Eke’s formal appointment as Prime Minister will be announced in due course.
Ma’u added that the official and complete list of cabinet ministers, including their respective portfolios, will be disclosed once the due process is completed.
Social media has been abuzz with speculation regarding the composition of the new cabinet.
Among the rumored appointments is the King’s son as Minister for His Majesty’s Armed Forces and Foreign Affairs.
Also, names of two female ministers who are not current parliament members are mentioned in unofficial lists circulating online, fueling further discussion on the composition of the upcoming government.