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Wed
31
Dec
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TONGAN CABINET MINISTERS RECEIVE TWO PAYCHECKS

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 00:00

Move to limit pay to one paycheck falters

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Dec. 29, 2008) – Tonga’s members of Cabinet will continue to receive two pay packets, one for their ministerial posts and the other from the House, the Minister of Finance Hon. Afu'alo Matoto said on December 19.

Although the Privy Council had decided in September that the Ministers should have only one salary and not two, it was impossible to implement it now, he told the Tongan press.

There is a legal issue that all members of the House must agree to one salary because they set their own salaries.

"The implementation of a Privy Council decision for Cabinet Ministers to have only one salary will not take place unless all members of parliament agree to be paid only a salary, and not a salary with daily allowances separately," the Minister of Finance said.

Hon. Afu'alo was optimistic that members of parliament would eventually agree to having one basic salary for members of...

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Wed
31
Dec
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TONGA TV STATION TO SUE GOVERNMENT OVER DAMAGE

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 00:00

OBN Network says soldiers trashed studios after riots

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 30, 2008) – The management of Tonga’s OBN television network says it will launch legal action against the Government, possibly next week, over what it says was the destruction of their studios when they were occupied by soldiers.

OBN, which has been off air since the riots in November 2006, had been accused of helping to inspire the violence.

The manager, Sangster Saulala, was charged and later acquitted of sedition and other offences.

He says when their offices were returned to them at the end of November, much of their equipment had been destroyed.

Mr Saulala says OBN will be looking for compensation of ten million pa’anga, or about 4.6 million US dollars, as it seeks to find out who ordered the soldiers to wreck the premises.

"Like when we went to the soldiers the soldiers said they had a decision from above. And every...

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Wed
31
Dec
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FIJI DOCTORS DEFEND TWO IN MALPRACTICE CASE

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 00:00

Two fined by judge after death of five-year-old boy

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 31, 2008) – The Fiji Medical Association (FMA) has called for charges on the two doctors implicated in the Shavneet Kumar case to be dropped.

FMA President Dr Ifereimi Waqanibete told Fijilive the two doctors - Luke Nasedra and Teresa Lum who had been charged with negligence - had been treated unfairly by the Public Service Commission.

"As indicated in the hearing there were numerous factors, which led to the death of Shavneet," he said.

Dr Waqanibete supported a statement by Dr Adam Black - an Australian who was visiting lecturer in anaesthesia at the Fiji School of Medicine and worked at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital - that it was unwise to blame Shavneet’s death on negligence of doctors when the equipment used during the surgery was problematic.

The consultant anaesthetist claimed to be at a meeting where it was asked whether (PSC chairman) Rishi Ram could...

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