Pacific / Tonga

Tonga PM back in NZ for medical care

13:39 pm on 3 June 2019

The Prime Minister of Tonga returned to New Zealand for further medical treatment at the weekend.

Tonga Prime Minister, 'Akilisi Pohiva Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koro Vaka'uta

'Akilis Pohiva was in Auckland last month before returning to Tonga briefly.

Matangi Tonga said the prime minister told local media he had been advised by his doctor to avoid any intensive mental activity.

The cause of Mr Pohiva's ill-health has not been revealed.

Meanwhile, Matangi Tonga also reported Mr Pohiva saying King Tupou VI was right to say, during the opening of parliament last week, that the government had no vision for economic development.

Mr Pohiva said his government had failed to spell out its plan clearly.

On the matter of the public consultations over six controversial bills the government had wanted pushed through under urgency, Mr Pohiva accused the Speaker of troublemaking, and said his Cabinet is moving to impeach him.