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The Tongan Monarchy and the Constitution: Political Reform in a Traditional Context

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The Tongan Monarchy and the Constitution: Political Reform in a Traditional Context View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The Australian National University The Tongan Monarchy and the Constitution: Political Reform in a Traditional Context GUY POWLES SSGM DISCUSSION PAPER 2014/9 1. Introduction Tonga’s 1875 Constitution stands out as per- haps the most unusual in the Pacific islands region2 The subjects of this paper are the Kingdom of for the uninterrupted survival of 19th-century Tonga,1 its Monarchy, its Constitution, its tradition- institutions, and for a style of monarchy that, from al values and political reform. It is now well known time to time, has shown great leadership, has also that the government and Legislative Assembly of Tonga (the Assembly) made a momentous decision on occasions seemed selfish and eccentrically Brit- four years ago in 2010, when it amended the Con- ish, but still retains widespread popular support. stitution of Tonga (the Constitution) to shift most Two further comparative perspectives lead to of the executive powers of the state from the Mon- the stated aim of this paper. First, the experiences arch to a Cabinet of elected leaders. For the first of Tonga’s monarchy and those of the royal lines of time in Tonga’s history, the government was then England, Europe and Scandinavia may be contrast- elected. Four years later, on 27 November 2014, that ed. The latter endured protracted and often vio- government was called to account when Tongans lent struggles that characterised gradual progres- went to the polls again to elect a second one. sive reform from absolute ruler to much respected In the course of the reform, the devolution of figurehead. It would be unrealistic to expect that executive powers was incomplete due to the reten- Tonga, having preserved the status and powers tion by the Monarch of several specific powers that of its Monarch, would leap 135 years to 2010 and have remained defined in the Constitution ever immediately strip its all-powerful hau (traditional since its promulgation in 1875. Why did this occur? leader) of all political authority. Instead, the objec- The purpose of this paper is to examine the Tongan tive of the mainstream Tongan pro-democracy context, particularly such features as Tonga’s histo- reformers was to transform the role and authority ry, social structure, development of systems of law of the Monarch in such a way as to preserve certain and government, and persisting social values. In elements of his power and influence — to achieve the course of suggesting answers to the above ques- a sort of ‘balance’ that would go some way towards tion, the paper will offer an account of the political securing the value of the monarchy to the nation. reform process and its outcomes. Second, during recent times when many British I call the 2010 decision ‘momentous’ because Commonwealth states of the Pacific islands region Tonga had been led and ruled by a Monarch for have already generally adopted models of govern- well over 150 years without the people having any ment like those of the UK, Australia and New say as to who would run the country. The decision Zealand — models that vest all political power in was also remarkable because it marked a peaceful a Cabinet of elected representatives of the people, transition of power, entirely in accordance with the often called the ‘Westminster model’ — it is notable terms of the nation’s Constitution. that Tonga has retained its own different constitu- There had been growing pressure for constitu- tional approach or philosophy. In short, Tonga has tional reform but, at the end of the day, it seems that opted for power-sharing in relation the willingness of the late King Tupou V to consider to both executive authority and the devolving executive authority upon an elected Cabi- electoral and parliamentary systems net has, if anything, increased many people’s feelings — for the time being, at least — as of respect towards the institution of monarchy. the ‘odd one out’ in the region. State, Society & Governance in Melanesia ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ssgm Guy Powles Why has Tonga decided not to conform to These are difficult and sensitive issues, and not decolonising precedent but instead to experiment of the sort that an external observer would nor- with compromises that ensure its path will continue mally attempt to write about. My broad objective to be unique? What might be some of the conse- in this paper is to inform a wider readership of quences? the Tongan context of the reform developments — Tongan opinions are divided on matters of drawing on my research and work in Tonga over reform — at home in Tonga, and abroad in the dias- many years.4 pora (where as many Tongans are settled in Austral- The second of the six sections of this paper ia, New Zealand and the USA as there are at home). summarises the 2010 reform outcomes, as an Indeed, many Tongans I know and have worked introduction to the ‘law and government’ dimen- with3 see beyond the negative characteristics of a sion of this study. The third will offer an account powerful Monarch to an ordering of society that of the context within which the reform story may has not been experienced elsewhere, and should be told, including Tongan society itself, its struc- be examined more carefully before it is summar- ture and history, leading to the meeting of the two ily dismissed as unacceptable in the 21st century. legal cultures, Tongan and British, from which Opinions vary on what should be changed, and how amalgamated forms of monarchy, constitutional far and fast reform should go. Many, perhaps most, government and social control were derived. The believe that the distinctiveness of their political his- contribution of the first King Tupou, the status of tory and social system justifies a peculiarly Tongan nobles, and the penetration of centralised law and path towards a form of democracy appropriate for government are key elements of this account. This Tonga. On the other hand, stern critics of the ‘tradi- Tongan context ensured the perpetuation of, and at tionalist’ view argue that loyalty to the past should times reinforced, notions of chiefly leadership and not colour one’s thinking, especially at a time when the pre-eminence of the Monarch as determining they believe that too little attention seems to have social values. been paid by many politicians, and indeed by the In the fourth section, the movement for politi- public generally, to current and future needs and cal change will be introduced together with the particularly to the task of understanding the nature, structure of the reform process and the outcomes purpose and impact of the reform measures. from it. Changes to the legislature and Cabinet, Answers to the many queries and criticisms together with questions concerning how the Mon- may be summed up in two propositions. First, that arch might receive advice, will be looked at from the reform decisions taken by the people of Tonga the point of view of achieving a balance in the rela- in 2010 are consistent with, and show a desire to tionship between the Monarch and elected govern- retain, traditions and values that, although now ment. The fifth section discusses ongoing concerns undergoing change and eroded by global and other and the sixth concludes the paper. forces, nevertheless have their place in Tonga — for It is impossible to do justice to this topic in the time being. a short paper, and reference must be made to Second, that while traditions and values natu- key supplementary reading and online resources rally permeate aspects of their lives to varying detailed in the References at the end of this paper.5 degrees, for very many Tongans their relationships 2. Changes Effected By the Major Reforms between people of differing social rank, class or authority are governed by values such as respect for From 1875, the constitutional position was that the and obedience to traditional authority, or those of Monarch was the head of government as well as the higher rank, and the corresponding value of reci- head of state. Also, the Monarch has always been, procity. Within a political framework constructed and still is, of course, the hau, or traditional leader around such authority, there is a predisposition to of all Tongans, which role is unaffected by current accept it, so long as the reciprocal obligations of reforms. The supreme executive body was the Mon- leadership are observed. arch in the Privy Council of Tonga where the Mon- SSGM2 Discussion Paper 2012/1 State, Society http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ssgm & Governance in Melanesia SSGM Discussion Paper 2014/9 arch received advice and his views prevailed. Mem- The practice had always been for matters of bership of the Privy Council comprised the prime importance to be investigated by Cabinet which minister and such Cabinet ministers as the Monarch would make recommendations or pass resolutions chose to appoint to take responsibility for the min- for the Monarch’s consideration in Council. On his istries, all appointed by the Monarch to hold office succession to the throne in September 2006, the and sit in the Legislative Assembly at his pleasure son of Tupou IV, King Tupou V declared he wished regardless of the term of the elected members of the to see the devolution of his executive powers10 and Assembly (Constitution of Tonga 18756). Usually the withdrew gradually from active decision-making. prime minister was a close relative of the Monarch, He did intervene in aspects of the reform, and lived and most of the ministers were nobles.
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