Clive Edwards (politician)

William Clive Edwards OBE (born 11 January 1934) is a former Tongan Cabinet Minister and former Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party.

Life and education

Edwards was born in Kolofo'ou, Nuku'alofa, Tonga. He was educated at Tonga High School and Auckland Grammar School in New Zealand in 1953 where he gained NZ University Entrance. He studied law at the University of Auckland[1] and practiced in both New Zealand and Tonga before returning to Tonga permanently in 1994.

Political career

Cabinet Minister

In 1996, Edwards was appointed to the Tongan Cabinet (and therefore the Tongan Parliament) by His Majesty, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, and served as Minister of Police, Prisons & Fire Services, and acting Deputy Prime Minister. He earned the nicknames "the royal hitman" and "the hangman" for his role in enforcing capital punishment.[2] Edwards was an opponent of democracy, banning the Times of Tonga newspaper, ordering surveillance of pro-democracy meetings,[3] and taking civil action suits against 'Akilisi Pohiva and other democracy activists for defamation.

In 1996 Pohiva and two Times of Tonga journalists, Kalafi Moala and Filokalafi 'Akauola, were found guilty by the Tongan Parliament of Contempt of Parliament, in a matter relating to then Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Lord Tevita Tupou published publicly by the Times, causing them to be jailed for 30 days. Edwards was responsible, in his capacity as Minister of Police and Prisons, for their incarceration. The three were later awarded US$26,000 for wrongful imprisonment.[4] He was the Government spokesperson [5] on all matters in relation to protecting His Majesty, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. He was Government spokesperson on the passing of media laws which saw the Times of Tonga banned from the country in 2003 as a seditious publication,[6] but the ban was overturned by the Supreme Court.[7] Later in 2003 he laid a defamation complaint against the Times of Tonga after it published an article questioning his use of police housing.[8]

In 1996 he ordered the police to visit Falisi Tupou for writing a letter to a newspaper that was critical of Edwards' contradictory viewpoints. Tupou was ordered to meet with Edwards, who shouted at Tupou for not knowing his position in society.[9]

In 2004 Edwards was sacked from Cabinet by Prime Minister Ulukālala Lavaka Ata after the collapse of Royal Tongan Airlines.[10] Edwards later claimed that he was unfairly sacked for opposing the government's one airline policy and for plotting to overthrow the government.[11]

Member of Parliament

Following his sacking Edwards became a critic of the government and became a founding member of the People's Democratic Party.[12] He contested the 2005 election, but failed to win a seat. However, he was subsequently elected as a People's Representative for Tongatapu in a by-election following the appointment of Feleti Sevele to Cabinet.[13][14] As a people's representative, Edwards advocated democratic reform,[15] and criticised the practice of appointing MPs to cabinet, arguing that it was a way for the government to silence its critics.[16]

In 2007 Edwards was charged with two counts of sedition in relation to the 2006 Nuku'alofa riots.[17] This was later reduced to a single charge of uttering seditious words.[18] The trial was repeatedly delayed.[19][20] Despite the charges, Edwards was re-elected at the 2008 election. Finally in May 2010, the sedition charges against him were dismissed.[21]

In 2010, Edwards announced that he would be promoting a private members bill to abolish whipping and the death penalty.[22]

Edwards stood for the seat of Tongatapu 3 in the 2010 elections, but was unsuccessful. Following the election, he was appointed to Cabinet as a minister outside the legislature, holding the portfolios of public enterprise and revenue services.[23] On 1 September 2011, he was appointed Minister for Justice. He retained the portfolio for public enterprises, while the portfolio for revenue services was reshuffled to Sunia Manu Fili.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Profile of William Clive Edwards". Parliament of Tonga. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  2. ↑ Moala, Kalafi (2009). In search of The Friendly Islands. Hawaii: Pasifika Foundation. p. 51. ISBN 9781877314759.
  3. ↑ "Tonga pro-democracy MP raises concerns about police surveillance of their meetings". Radio New Zealand International. 3 October 2003. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  4. ↑ "Tongan pro-democracy politician and journalists win case against government". Radio New Zealand International. 8 December 2002. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  5. ↑ "Tonga newspaper publisher thrilled that Crown Prince is speaking out over failed media law changes". Radio New Zealand International. 26 January 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  6. ↑ "Tonga Government bans independent newspaper". Radio New Zealand International. 26 February 2003. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  7. ↑ "Taimi O Tonga bans lifted...papers due on sale in Tonga on Wednesday". Radio New Zealand International. 26 May 2003. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  8. ↑ "Tonga police minister lays complaint over Taimi O Tonga story". Radio New Zealand International. 11 July 2003. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  9. ↑ Moala, Kalafi (2009). In search of The Friendly Islands. Hawaii: Pasifika Foundation. pp. 113–115. ISBN 9781877314759.
  10. ↑ "Tongan royals order three ministers to quit – report". Radio New Zealand International. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  11. ↑ "Former Tongan minister claims his sacking linked to alleged coup plot". Radio New Zealand International. 19 January 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  12. ↑ "Tonga's new People's Democratic Party elects officials". Matangi Tonga. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  13. ↑ "Tongatapu by-election 5 May 2005". Matangi Tonga. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  14. ↑ "Former Tonga police minister returns to parliament in by-election". Radio New Zealand International. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  15. ↑ "Newly-elected Tonga MP says democratic reform is a key priority". Radio New Zealand International. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  16. ↑ "Former Tongan cabinet minister says appointments to cabinet a way to silence critics". Radio New Zealand International. 28 March 2005. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  17. ↑ "Tonga’s former police minister charged with two counts of sedition". Radio New Zealand International. 2 February 2007. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  18. ↑ "Crown withdraws six charges against five People’s Representatives in Tonga". Radio New Zealand International. 11 September 2007. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  19. ↑ "Sedition trials in Tonga delayed by nine months". Radio New Zealand International. 4 November 2007. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  20. ↑ "Trial of five Tongan MPs postponed". Radio New Zealand International. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  21. ↑ "Tonga: Power to the People". Sunday Star Times. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  22. ↑ "Whipping as a punishment for crimes in Tonga should be wiped". Radio New Zealand International. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  23. ↑ "Tonga’s prime minister names his cabinet". Radio New Zealand International. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  24. ↑ "Cabinet quietly reshuffles portfolios", Matangi Tonga, 7 September 2011
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