Policy Brief

August 2015

Overview Since establishing an office in in a new political Canberra, International IDEA’s engagement in the Pacific Islands has increased to the extent that order – Analysing the 2014 IDEA is now in a strong position to make significant contributions general election results in support of democracy. Its work has grown from highlighting the Introduction value of International IDEA’s global The constitutional and political reforms undertaken prior to the 2010 general election resources to providing expertise paved the way for the people of the Kingdom of Tonga to elect more representative specific to the region based on governments that are accountable to the electorate. Tonga held its second general research on government stability, election since the reforms on 27 November 2014. What political bearing did the inputs to the Solomon Islands political and constitutional reforms have on the results of the 2014 general election? government’s electoral reforms Could further reforms be introduced to make the government of Tonga more discussions, and relations with representative? This brief analyses the results of the 2014 general election in order to various electoral and political party highlight those areas that should be considered by political leaders wishing to build on bodies in Melanesia. the foundations of political reform to consolidate democracy in Tonga. This Policy Brief is part of International IDEA’s work to Constitutional and political reforms increase knowledge among The 2010 general election saw the end of the role of the monarch in appointing politicians and policy makers on the government. The executive role of the Privy Council also came to an end. how political institutions, processes Before 2010, the Privy Council consisted, in addition to the monarch, of the and reforms can be designed to prime minister, the cabinet ministers and two governors. All were appointed by promote democracy and sustainable the monarch and served for as long as the monarch wished them to. Parliament, human development. on the other hand, was elected every three years. The cabinet formulated laws About International IDEA and introduced these to parliament, which was made up of nine elected People’s Representatives, nine Nobles’ Representatives (elected by the Nobles) and the The International Institute for cabinet ministers and governors. Laws came into effect only after the monarch Democracy and Electoral Assistance gave his or her written assent. (International IDEA) is an The principal source of pressure for reform was a pro-democracy movement intergovernmental organization with led by Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva, the leader of a political group known as the Paati a mission to support sustainable Temokalati ‘o e ‘Otu Motu Anga’ofa (PTOA, ‘the Democracy Party’), who is democracy worldwide. www.idea.int currently the prime minister. Although the PTOA calls itself a political party, there are no registered political parties in Tonga and the general norm is for independent candidates to stand for election. Minor reforms to the appointment of cabinet ministers had been introduced in the later years of the reign of King Tupou IV (1967–2006), but it was King (2006–12), in particular, who paved the way for reforms by setting up a committee to review the legislative system.

This policy brief is based on a presentation in the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia seminar series, Coral Bell School of Asia and Pacific Affairs, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, © International IDEA Australian National University, 4 May 2015.

1 In the new political order, Nobles’ are 17 single-member constituencies: and People’s Representatives form the ten on Tongatapu, one each on ‘Eua government from among themselves. and the Niuas, two on Ha’apai and The monarch appoints a prime minister three on Vava’u. on the recommendation of parliament, and then the