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Political Parties in Tonga

The electoral system in Tonga does not allow political parties to form a government or achieve power, as only a minority of seats are directly elected by commoners. Currently, the majority of commoner representatives belong to the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. There are four main political parties that exist as opposition parties: the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, the People's Democratic Party, the Sustainable Nation-Building Party, and the Tongan Democratic Labor Party. However, none of these parties have won seats in the Tongan parliament.

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195 views2 pages

Political Parties in Tonga

The electoral system in Tonga does not allow political parties to form a government or achieve power, as only a minority of seats are directly elected by commoners. Currently, the majority of commoner representatives belong to the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. There are four main political parties that exist as opposition parties: the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, the People's Democratic Party, the Sustainable Nation-Building Party, and the Tongan Democratic Labor Party. However, none of these parties have won seats in the Tongan parliament.

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Christian Ian Lim
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Political Parties in Tonga

The electoral system does not allow any party to achieve power; only two parties exist in
opposition. The electoral system, in which commoners (non-nobles) directly elect only nine of
the thirty seats in the Fale, does not allow political parties to form a government. Parties exist as
pressure groups rather than electoral vehicles or patronage dispensers. Candidates are required to
register for elections as individuals, not as members of a political party. Currently a majority of
the commoners in parliament belong to the Human Rights and Democracy Movement.
The People's Democratic Party was the first registered party.

The electoral system was changed in April 2010, with 17 of 26 representatives now directly
elected.

1. Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands

The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands is a political party in Tonga. The party's


leader is 'Akilisi Pohiva.

The party was launched in September 2010, and included several sitting People's
Representatives who were part of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. Its policies
include government transparency and economic reform. The "Friendly Islands" are a name
originally given to Tonga by Captain James Cook.

2.  People's Democratic Party (PDP) 

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) is a political party in Tonga. It was formed after a


split in the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. The party was founded on 8 April 2005
in 'Atenisi. Teisina Fuko was the first person elected to the party presidency at a meeting on 15
April 2005.

Former Police Minister Clive Edwards subsequently won election to the Legislative


Assembly on a PDP ticket during the 2005 Tongatapu by-election. The PDP was legally
registered on July 1 2005, being the first Tongan party to do so.

The party did not win any seats in the 2010 elections, but Clive Edwards was nonetheless
appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Revenue Services and Public Enterprises, despite having
lost his seat in Parliament.
3. Sustainable Nation-Building Party 

It was launched on August 4, 2007 in Auckland, New Zealand. The party's president


is Sione Fonua, an Auckland-based lawyer. He plans to move to Tonga before the 2008 elections

The party ran four candidates in the 2010 elections, but did not win any seats. It intends to recruit
more members and candidates and contest the next elections in 2014.

4. Tongan Democratic Labor Party

The Tongan Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Tonga. The party was founded
on 8 June 2010 by members of the Tongan Public Servants Association. It plans to contest all 17
people's constituencies in the 2010 election. Five of the party's 2010 candidates are women. The
party did not win any seats in the 2010 elections.

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