6 Sep 2004

March planned in Tonga over minister sacking

3:38 pm on 6 September 2004

A march is being organised in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa to protest against the sacking of three ministers.

The royalist Kotoa Movement wants to hold the march on either Thursday or Friday.

A Kotoa spokesman, Semisi Kailahi, says he hopes 10-thousand people will attend the march.

Last month, the ministers for Justice, Police and Commerce were asked to resign, reportedly after voicing their concern over government moves to cut the kingdom's domestic airlines from two to one.

Mr Kailahi says it is calling for justice and law to be applied when the upper level makes decisions.

Mr Kailahi says the whole country is concerned about the government moves.

"This case is not really for the Kotoa Movement. I think it is a concern of the whole country. We would like to get the views of the leaders of the churches and organisations but so far across the board we don't just concentrate on the Kotoa Movement in this case, we are asking the people in Tonga to participate in this march."

Semisi Kailahi from the Kotoa Movement.