frogblog

Don’t you love today’s South Pacific news? The Prime Minister of Tonga is advising Fiji’s military coup leader Commodore Bainimarama, on democracy. Take this quote from Tonga’s Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele in his role as the Pacific Islands Forum Chairman,

“We also added that, if having taken all reasonable steps towards holding the elections as promised, the Fiji Interim Government found that it was genuinely and practically impossible for Fiji to hold free and fair elections in the first quarter of 2009, then the Forum Leaders would, as reasonable people, be flexible about an extension of the agreed deadline.”

And we think we may have trouble getting an election date out of the Prime Minister! Tonga’s Prime Minister may have other things on his mind.  Lots of more important people than Bainimarama and Winston Peters are on their way to his country, including Maori King, Tuheitia Paki, the Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and rock stars Mick Jagger and Elton John.

It’s the Tongan King’s coronation next week - it was cancelled last year after pro democracy riots, and concerns that it might be seen as too extravagant.  It has obviously subsequently been toned down:

The coronation is costing $3 million - equivalent to a third of New Zealand’s annual aid to Tonga - which includes $570,000 on princely robes from London and $50,000 on a newly minted gold sceptre, said to be similar to the Queen Elizabeth’s.

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