Tongan PM

Tongan PM visits old school on New Zealand trip

Hua'kavameiliku arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday and travelled to Ashburton and Timaru in Canterbury where he received a warm welcome from the local Tongan community.

He paid a visit to Timaru Boys' High School where he attended as a senior student in 1988 and spoke at a special reception about his teenage years in the town.

"Thirty-four years ago in 1988, four young Tongan students, including me, entered Timaru Boys' High," he said.

Re-elected Tongan PM encouraged to unite parliament

'Akilisi Pohiva was re-elected Prime Minister on Monday, defeating his former deputy Siaosi Sovaleni by 14 votes to 12 in parliament.

The vote followed on from a comprehensive November election victory when his Democratic Party won 14 of the 17 general seats.

Massey University Pasifika Centre director Malakai Koloamatangi says Mr Pohiva now has a chance to unite the country after the August dissolution of parliament which was sparked by concerns that the government was acting unconstitutionally and trying remove some of the King's authority.