Tonga finally has a “common” citizen as Prime Minister. Veteran Democracy activist and politician, Akilisi Pohiva, the longest serving member of parliament and chairman of the Democratic Party, succeeded after the failed attempt during the election in 2010 to get elected.
After a month of negotiations, Pohiva managed to garner 15 votes against 11from the former deputy prime minister, Samiu Vaipulu, an independent MP.
For the first time the Prime Minister is neither a representative of the royal family nor a representative of the nobility that still holds considerable sway in the south pacific nation.
Phoiva is a the founder of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement that was the first political movement advocating political reform in the country and then he moved on to found the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, democratic party.
He was awarded with the Defender of Democracy Award in December 2013 as recognition for his long standing service in promotion of democracy within Tonga and the region.
How will Pohiva, now 72 years old but still in a very good shape move ahead in the democratization process in the archipelago island of Tonga, finding the right balance between more democracy and keeping the old establishment represented by the nobility happy.
Will he abolish the electoral system that gives that is disproportionally too much in favor of only 33 nobles that still hold considerable power and influence? How will the King Tupou VI mediate between different interests? He will be probably play a decisive role on how democracy can advance in Tonga while maintaining a traditional local “touch”.
A former absolute kingdom navigating its way towards a political system that offers people’s genuine guarantees, rights and freedoms. Democracy at the Tonga’s way, an interesting experiment.
For a bio of Akilisi Pohiva, check on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CA%BBAkilisi_Pohiva
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