'Akilisi Pohiva

It is understood the 77-year-old was diagnosed with pneumonia and is recovering.

His media spokesperson Lōpeti Senituli told Kaniva News last night that Mr Pohiva is fine.

In a previous interview, Mr Pōhiva told Kaniva News said his routine check-ups with his doctors showed he was healthy but he said he sometimes felt the burden of his duties for the country.

In January last year, he was admitted into Vaiola hospital in a "stable condition."

Mr Pohiva, who was effectively sacked by the King back in August, has returned as leader for a second term.

Mr Pohiva's Democratic Party had won 14 of the 17 Peoples' Representatives seats in the election on 16 November and he won his prime ministerial election on Monday in parliament by the same amount.

The other contender, former deputy prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni, got 12.

Mr Moala said during the election Mr Pohiva was seeking a second chance.

Pohiva told his supporters on Tuesday night he would have made himself Minister for Defence and Minister for Land in the last election if he wanted to carry out those changes.

He was rebutting claims by his political opponents that he had a secret agenda to take away people’s rights to their land and give it to the nobles.

Kaniva News reports it was unable to publish anything on his speech immediately because of Tonga’s electoral law which prohibited the publication of any material that could promote a candidate within 24 hours of Thursday’s elections.

Ana Bing Fonua, the candidate number six at the constituency says according to Section 9A of the Electoral Act, the official date for any candidate to withdraw their candidature ended on the first week of October, a week from nomination day.

She says she doubts the Election Office would allow any candidates to withdraw at this stage.

Fonua, who was CEO of the Ministry of Internal Affairs before quitting to run for Parliament, said she was unaware of the identity of the group.

Last month, Mr Pohiva labelled the state broadcaster an enemy of government, saying he was not happy with its operations and someone else might better serve its role.

Tapu Panuve has now resigned as TBC chair, thanking the government for the opportunity, but adding that if a stakeholder is not happy, it is time to leave.

Mr Pohiva says he forced Mr Panuve to resign and he is working to replace the general manager Nanise Fifita as well.

Local media report sports administrator 'Ahongalu Fusimalohi has been appointed the new chair.

He is back in Nuku'alofa after a medical checkup last week in Auckland.

But Radio Tonga said he remains on leave because he is scheduled to return to New Zealand for treatment next week.

Tonga's Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva Photo: Alex Perrottet / RNZ

 Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva has launched a crusade against people involved in the illegal sale of Tongan passports, which he claims have been used to smuggle drugs to New Zealand and elsewhere.

A police taskforce was established last year to investigate and is receiving help from New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office.

About a dozen lower-level Government officials have been arrested but Pohiva wants his predecessor, current Speaker of Parliament Lord Tu'ivakano, to be charged. 

 Mr Pohiva requested that the King revoke Fe'ao Vakata's cabinet appointment because of unacceptable conduct.

The Prime Minister said he had to discipline Mr Vakata after a complaint was laid against him for throwing a wine glass at a senior civil servant.

Mr Pohiva said the former minister will have no role to play in government and is now simply a representative of his Niuas constituency.

The Tonga Prime Minister and Minister of Education, 'Akilisi Pohiva, says an audit of primary and senior secondary students shows pass rates have declined over the past 13 years.

He says the audits show just 17 percent of mathematics students passed the Secondary Entrance Examination in 2014, compared with 31 percent in 2002, a decline of more than 40 percent.

The results in English were down to 20 percent from 23.