11 Jun 2016

Sport: TASANOC hopes to end standoff in Tonga

11:49 am on 11 June 2016

Tonga's national sporting body, TASANOC, has proposed a compromise to end the standoff between the government and Pacific Games Council.

The two bodies have been at loggerheads over the government's decision to remove Lord Sevele as CEO of Tonga's 2019 Games Organising Committee.

Lord Sevele's removal was approved by the government's Audit and Governance Authority but the Council and Lord Sevele both the move was unauthorised.

Kaniva Pacific reports that in a statement TASANOC said Lord Sevele's removal was not done for personal reasons.

It said it wanted to settle any doubts about the games so that it could get on with preparing athletes and building facilities.

TASANOC has proposed a 45 day performance review of the Games organising committee as a way of ensuring the group met the requirements of the 2012 Host Contract and the Pacific Games Organisation Act 2013.

It said this would ensure the committee was fully accountable and transparent.