Today’s sitting of Tonga’s Parliament has been deferred again.
No new date has been announced.
The deferral is the second in less than a week.
A statement issued by the Chief Clerk of the Legislative Assembly said the deferral is consequent on the ex tempore judgement issued on Friday 20 May 2022 granting a stay of execution of the judgement in the election petition with respect to the Tongatapu 4
People’s Representative, who is also the Minister of Finance as well as the Minister of Customs, Tatafu Toma Moeaki.
“The Legislative Assembly’s rules of proceedings are being fully considered in light of legal considerations that arises, in order to ensure that the Assembly’s meetings and conduct of businesses can properly resume,” the statement said.
RNZ Pacific reports the Government needs to present and pass the Budget, and to also confront the issue of four MPs, including three cabinet ministers losing their seats after being found to have bribed voters in last year's election.
By law, the Parliament is required to "unseat the members" whose elections have been declared void by the Supreme Court.
But the Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Sioasi Sovaleni, is yet to act.
He has to date been happy for the MPs, who include his finance minister and his deputy, to hold their places, ahead of appeals of the court decisions.
Their support will also be critical to the passing of the Budget.
The government had announced late last week that the Budget was ready and had been submitted to Parliament.
It was to be the first item on parliament's agenda today.
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