Rowdy parliamentary debate over bill of rights
Title -- 4194 TONGA: Rowdy parliamentary debate over bill of rights
Date -- 21 September 2003
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio New Zealand International 20/9/3
Copyright -- RNZI
Status -- Unabridged
Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply: www.TheGuestBook.com/egbook/257949.gbook
TONGA PARLIAMENT HOLDS ROWDY DEBATE OVER PROPOSED BILL OF RIGHTS
www.rnzi.com
NUKU'ALOFA (RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch): The Legislative Assembly in Tonga has accepted apologies from two members before its two-week adjournment, Radio New Zealand International reports.
The apologies came from pro-democracy MP 'Akilisi Pohiva and Etuate Lavulavu for contempt of the house stemming from deliberations over a proposed bill on the rights to protect a person’s name for commercial purposes.
Lavulavu said the bill followed false accusations in the media that King Taufa’ahau Tupou had US$ 350 million in his personal possession and the bill was drafted to protect him.
Member Uliti Uata responded by saying the king was already protected by Clause 7 of the constitution.
Pohiva then picked up a law book and threatened to throw it at Lavulavu in protest over his reasoning for the bill.
Lavulavu then challenged Pohiva to throw the book so he could then hit him.
The Assembly is now adjourned for two weeks for the annual visits of members to their constituencies.
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media based in Sydney, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).
© 1996-2003 Copyright - All rights reserved. Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members. Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW. Please copy appeals to PMW and acknowledge source.
For further information, inquiries about joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, articles for publication, and giving feedback contact Pacific Media Watch at:
E-mail: delaro@clear.net.nz or pcronau@hotmail.com Fax: (+649) 3787542 or (+612) 9660 1804
Mail: PO Box 9, Annandale, NSW 2038, Australia
or PO Box 78028, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1002, New Zealand
Website: www.pmw.c2o.org
Return to Pacific Media Watch