22/11/2022
PATHWAY TO DEMOCRACY - THE LEADERSHIP FAILURES: PART 1
~Kalafi Moala~
The dominant story of the past two decades or so was the 2010 constitutional reform that would put Tonga on the pathway to democracy. Since 2010 there were numerous stories that carry the strengths of the changes made, as well as the failures in executing reform.
The movement toward democratic reform came as a natural social progression emerging with a number of contributing factors. Some were political. Some were socio-economic; and others came out of basic personal and societal discontent with the status quo.
King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, who was one of Tonga's longest ruling monarchs, entertained the idea that political reform needed to be made to Tonga's governance system so that the sovereign nation can keep up with the “march of time”.
In 1975 he commissioned Dr. Langi Kavaliku to produce a research paper for the Cabinet concerning democratic reform. One hundred years since the promulgation of the 1875 Constitution, a presentation on democratic reform was made.
But despite all that has taken place in the last 17 years as Tonga marched into democracy, there have been problems threatening to tear the kingdom nation apart. Major issues of abuse of authority, corruption, economic downturn, rise of crime like drug trafficking, rise of violence against women and children, and so on, have occupied the attention of the nation.
There has been however, a certain constant in the march toward democracy. Lessons learned are that progress does not come just by changing the system; there has to be the elimination of corruption and blatant violations of the law.
At the base of the political and socio-economic problems confronting Tongan society, is a moral foundation that has been eroded over the years through leadership failures. Tongan society from its inception has always been leadership-centric. That means that the rise and fall of society has always been a rise or fall in leadership.
If leaders themselves are the ones who are corrupt or who violate moral rules, it is no surprise that the general populace are rampant with moral and social problems.
There have been five Prime Ministers and five administrations during this critical time in the kingdom's journey toward democracy.
First, was the appointment by King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, of Dr. Feleti Sevele to be Prime Minister in 2006. He was the 3rd non-noble appointee to the position of Prime Minister, after Shirley Waldemar Baker (1880) and Siosateki Tonga Veikune (1893).
Sevele's tenure was significant in the sense that preparation for the constitutional reform of 2010 was worked on in government. He was appointed Prime Minister in March of the same year King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV died in September 2006. The reign passed on to King George Tupou V, a close friend of Sevele.
Most observers of Tongan politics believe with good reason that King George V and Sevele collaborated on working out the technicalities of changes that would need to be made so that Tonga's system of government become more democratic.
The politically motivated riots that broke out on 16 November 2006, was a wake-up call that Tonga was in a socio-political crisis.
The popularly led grass-roots movement for democracy with opposition leader 'Akilisi Pohiva as its head, was blamed for causing the riots which torched the CBD of Nuku'alofa. But the movement for reform pointed the finger at Sevele who they alleged was holding back on the reform.
Most people in Tonga as well as the diaspora could not believe that Tonga was capable of what has since been dubbed the 16/11 riots.
No administration of the past 17 years – the era of movement toward democracy – has been more riddled with problems like that of former Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele. But the problems of his five year leadership of the government was not surprising due to the fact that he often refuses to take responsibility. The general perception is Sevele “got away with murder”, as the saying goes.
The words of Thomas Sewell fit well here: ““It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”
Topping the problems for Sevele's administration was the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika which killed 74 people. The ship which proved to be unseaworthy was sailing to Vava'u with over 120 passengers and crew, including many women and children.
It was an accident that did not have to happen if Sevele and his government had listened to professional advice and followed due process.
Sevele and his government was responsible for purchasing a ship that had been inspected to be defective and not seaworthy.
Even when a Fiji marine report pointed out the poor condition of the ship, coupled with advice from local marine experts that it was not seaworthy, Sevele insisted on the purchase. He and his cronies ignored all the warnings and advice given to them.
Sevele who should have resigned from being Prime Minister, again “got away with murder”. Others took the fall for him. His Minister of Transportation, Paul Karalus, and Director of the Shipping company, John Jonesse, were implicated. The captain of the ship as well as the first mate were both charged for negligence that led to the loss of lives.
That is a typical Sevele character flaw he has never been able to correct in all his years of failure as a leader.
Here is a statement from the Commission of Inquiry: “The tragedy of the MV Princess Ashika sinking is that the causes were easily preventable and the 74 deaths were completely senseless.” (5 August 2009).
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The Sevele government organized a loan from the Exim Bank of China for the rebuilding of the Nuku'alofa CBD after the riots and the torching of many businesses. The Sevele Molisi businesses were major beneficiaries of that loan.
But the issue raised was why Sevele insisted the loan would be turned into a grant later. Obviously, it will be to his benefit if the loan was turned into a grant. He did not have to pay back anything.
He did not recognize the fact the loan was made from a bank, and Tonga had signed a loan agreement with a bank governed by international banking rules.
Sevele does not seem to believe conflict of interest is wrong, based on his actions. He has recently been appointed as Chair of the Board of the Tonga National Reserve Bank. The appointment came by way of former Minister of Finance, Tatafu Moeaki, who was strongly supported by Sevele to be elected for Tongatapu 4, and eventually got appointed as Minister of Finance.
This is the former Parliamentarian and Minister who was convicted for bribery during the 2021 General Election, and whose election was voided by the Supreme Court.
Sevele runs a money transfer and exchange business which is a blatant conflict of interest with his appointment to chair the Board of the TNRB which monitors and regulates financial institutions in Tonga, including exchanges rates.
At the heart of all failures in leadership, and especially in the leadership role of a nation is moral failure.
There has never been a living human that has not committed moral violation. But in all moral failures, there has and is always a solution and a way forward. It is what the Scriptures call repentance.
“Ninety-nine percent of leadership failures are failures of character,” said former General Norman Schwarzkopf. He also continued: “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”
No other Prime Minister in Tonga has failed shamelessly in morality like Lord Sevele. As a Minister as well as Prime Minister he lived under a dark cloud of committing sexual immorality involving prostitutes.
Obviously he did this mostly overseas, especially in New Zealand where prostitution is legal and where he never wanted to be found out. But as Scriptures say: “Your sin will find you out!” (Numbers 32:23) He did not care as much as committing these immoral acts while in a key leadership role, as he cared more that “his wife must never find out.”
Such is the lie and falsehood that embodies Lord Sevele. As with other leaders, trust is key to lead a country effectively. If you live a lie, and cannot be trusted, everything else that you do results in failure.
Moral and social failures among leaders give way to administrative and governance failures.
The explanation to the failures in Sevele's administration is not necessarily political or technical. It is simply a moral failure infected into all other activities. As one anonymous writer said: “Success without integrity is failure.”
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