FIDP calls for consensus cabinet

© Tevita Motulalo

THE Friendly Islands Democratic Party (FIDP) has called for a consensus type of Parliament in the Kingdom of Tonga, as parliament members prepare to vote for a Prime Minister.

Members are lobbying for proposals for a Prime Minister, after the country's historic election last month which saw FIDP rack up to 12 of the 17 popular elected seats in Parliament, with only 31% of the votes. One FIDP MP has broken off from the party, bringing down their seats to eleven, while the major titled traditional families or the Hou'eiki" hold another nine seats, bringing the total seats in parliament to 26.

Proposals for Prime Minister are being submitted to the Interim Speaker of Parliament, Lord Tupou. The vote will be held next Monday.

Eight members of the FIDP, including party leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva, made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday last week. Pohiva and the FIDP held the meeting to answer any questions from the media and to make responses to statements made by member of the House who are not party-aligned.

One of the leading voices and MPs of the FIDP, Dr. Sitiveni Halapua said that, since everyone is new to the elected system, “there needs to be a lot of working together in the House for the stability of government and the future.” He also said that warning of “stability” is not a threat.

Halapua was asked: Why start a party in the first place, if you knew that a partitioned parliament leads to instability? 

Halapua answered, “Tell me of a country that has a consensus system? The consensus system does not work in most countries.”

Recently, the FIDP has proposed a ‘Cabinet of National Unity’, calling on free members of the house (Nobles and non-party MPs) to come together with them to form a government.

This is despite the mounting opposition from the Free MPs 15-member strong alliance in response to the party, which could possibly tip the election of the Prime Minister in their favour.

Lord Tu‘ivakano has been identified as the Free MPs’ nomination to be Prime Minister.

So far the FIDP is the only political faction that has officially stood out as a ‘party’, isolating itself from the rest of the Parliament.

According to Free MPs, the existence of the party in Parliament has ultimately resulted with the rest of the house finding it easier to work amongst themselves, and harder for the party.