PTOA Party List Sparks Confusion and Division — While the Nobles Remain the Real Power Brokers
A controversial candidate list released on Facebook today by the PTOA Party Chair, Siale Napa‘a Fihaki, has thrown the already fragmented democratic movement into further disarray — and raised serious questions about strategy, leadership, and voter priorities just five months ahead of Tonga’s general election in November.
The list, labelled as Fihaki’s personal selection, features a slate of mostly current cabinet ministers and candidates aligned with both the People’s Party Line (PPL) and the breakaway “Pule Lelei” (Good Governance) faction — without clear consensus from the broader PTOA membership or any apparent coordination with the noble representatives. This has sparked outrage among party loyalists and confusion among voters, many of whom now fear a repeat of the 2019 electoral collapse that saw PTOA lose its parliamentary dominance.
The proposed list includes:
- Tongatapu 1 – Siaosi Vailahi Pohiva (Political Advisor to the current Minister of Police and Public Enterprises)
- Tongatapu 2 – Pingi Fasi (Current Minister of Lands)
- Tongatapu 3 – Tevita Palu
- Tongatapu 4 – Mateni Tapueluelu (Current Minister of Customs and Revenue)
- Tongatapu 5 – Aisake Valu Eke (Current Prime Minister)
- Tongatapu 6 – No candidate listed
- Tongatapu 7 – Piveni Piukala (Current Minister of Police and Public Enterprises)
- Tongatapu 8 – Filia Uipi
- Tongatapu 9 – Tevita Tukunga
- Tongatapu 10 – Kapeli Lanumata (Current Minister of Economic Development)
The absence of a candidate for Tongatapu 6, along with the inclusion of controversial figures such as Piukala and Tapueluelu, has sparked considerable backlash. Critics argue that this move not only breaches internal party procedures but also undermines the democratic ideals that PTOA claims to uphold. Tonga Independent contacted the Prime Minister, who stated, “I will be running independently.” He also noted that similar actions have been taken by other groups in the past. We also contacted Hon. ‘Uhilamoelangi Fasi, but he had not responded by the time we went to print.
A Legacy in Turmoil
Since the passing of the PTOA movement’s founding leader, the late Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, and his successor, the late Prime Minister Dr. Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa, the party has struggled to maintain unity. The fight for control of the PTOA has become a long-running saga. This internal strife saw the party lose one of its safest seats — Tongatapu 1 — to an independent MP for the first time in the last general election, along with several other traditional strongholds.
Despite public statements suggesting renewed momentum ahead of the 2025 elections, this latest episode shows that voter confidence has not been fully restored — and there is still no certainty that the fractured movement can reclaim its former dominance.
A Deeper Crisis of Strategy
What’s most alarming about the list is not just its composition, but what it reveals about the broader dysfunction within Tonga’s democratic opposition. There appears to be no meaningful outreach or alignment with the nobles, whose bloc of nine seats in Parliament makes them the ultimate kingmakers. Any group or alliance that wins the support of the nobles will likely form the next government — a reality that this list seems to ignore entirely.
The political math is simple: without a coalition-building strategy that includes the nobles, even the most polished candidate list is essentially meaningless.
Voters Distracted by Degrees, Not Direction
This development highlights another worrying trend — the growing tendency of voters to focus on academic qualifications, such as PhDs, rather than substantive policies or proven leadership. Tonga’s economy remains on the edge, sustained largely by external lifelines from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, China, Japan, and other traditional donor partners. Yet, little has been done to address the structural problems of economic dependency, underperforming state enterprises, and a growing debt burden.
The prioritization of individual résumés over policy substance has arguably taken the country into deeper economic vulnerability, with no clear recovery plan in sight.
Democratic Movement at a Crossroads
The split within PTOA — now visibly between the original faction and Piukala’s Pule Lelei — has disheartened many pro-democracy supporters. While Pule Lelei calls for a rollback of the 2010 democratic reforms to reinstate more powers to the King, this move contradicts the very foundation of the PTOA’s mission: people-cantered governance.
The internal division risks splitting the pro-democracy vote across the same constituencies, potentially opening the door for independents or rival groups to gain ground.
Final Word
If Tonga’s democratic movement hopes to avoid repeating past electoral disasters, it must focus less on personalities and more on policies — especially economic policy. It must also recognize the indispensable role the nobles play in forming any viable government. Until that reality is acknowledged and addressed with a clear, united front and a coherent coalition strategy, the voters will be left with lists like today’s: fragmented, confusing, and disconnected from political realities on the ground.
