Tonga's leading Pro-Democracy MP, Akilisi Pohiva, says the current political system allows government to become prey to special interest groups and needs to be changed.
The roles of the King, the Privy Council and Government, as well as the composition of the Legislative Assembly are among the key issues up for consideration by Tonga's Constitutional and Electoral Commission.
The Commission is looking at models for political reform and will present recommendations to Parliament by November.
Mr Pohiva, whose pro-democracy movement is proposing a change to a Parliament where the majority is popularly elected, says the current form of government is not accountable to the taxpayer.
He says a system in which the Prime Minister and cabinet can have such close links to business must be addressed.
"And that is why we want to see political change take place next year, as soon as possible. We want to avoid any further crisis in this country like the one that we had in November 2006."
Akilisi Pohiva.
