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Candidates accused of sedition set to win seats in Tonga

Candidates facing criminal charges over deadly riots in Tonga in 2006 won more than half the seats up for election to the country’s next parliament, provisional figures showed yesterday.

Voters in the semi-feudal South Pacific monarchy went to the polls on Thursday to elect nine representatives for the 33-seat parliament and most of their votes went to prominent political reform activists.

There was speculation before the election of a possible backlash against five legislators facing sedition charges for their alleged roles in a riot in November 2006, in which eight people were killed and swathes of Nuku’alofa’s central business district were burned and looted.

The riot was sparked by a political rally calling for democratic reforms to the parliament, which is controlled by King Siaosi Tupou V and the nobility.

The government has since agreed to introduce reforms by 2010 that would give most of the legislature’s seats to popularly elected candidates.

Four of five sitting legislators facing sedition charges were returned in Thursday’s election, including veteran political activist Akilisi Pohiva, who was the highest polling candidate.

Of the new legislators elected, one also faces charges related to the riot.

Many of those charged are due to go on trial in August and if any of the legislators are convicted, they would lose their seats in parliament.

A total of 71 candidates stood for election and over 68,000 registered to vote.

Radio New Zealand quoted electoral supervisor Pita Vuki as saying less than 50 percent of those registered turned up to vote.

On Wednesday, 29 nobles elected nine representatives to the legislature, while the remaining 15 seats are taken by Prime Minister Feleti Sevele and 14 other cabinet members chosen by the king.


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