September 19, 2019
Tonga state funeral for champion of democracy
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has praised the late Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva as a stand out among Pacific politicians.
Mr Pohiva died in Auckland last week of pneumonia, and state funeral is to be held in Nukualofa today.
Mr Peters says he was honoured to be able to speak at a memorial service in Māngere on Sunday.
While the road most easily would have been for Mr Pohiva to go along with the system and pursue his career as a teacher, for five decades he pushed for reform of Tonga's electoral system, including going to jail three times for his views.
"The part that I admired him for was his willingness to put it all on the line and sacrifice his career, his comfort and dare I say his family for the great purpose of democracy and frankly that makes him in the Pacific as much as anyone else I know in 50 years of observing Pacific politics a stand out personality," Mr Peters says.
Tonga's government has declared a public holiday and national day of mourning.
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