The Tongan Advisory Council's (TAC) Auckland based chairman Melino Maka has welcomed the 5 November 2009 final report of the Tongan Constitutional and Electoral Commission (CEC).

In welcoming the historic recommendations Mr Maka called for increased citizenship education of Tongans.

The TAC has held talks with Tongan civil society, the New Zealand based Centre for Citizenship Education and others about expanding its efforts to help the Tongan people grasp political reforms that could form the basis of an election, likely in November 2010.

The Tongan Constitutional and Electoral Commission's final report details how the country could become more democratic, with a majority of the Legislative Assembly elected by the people, the King's powers cut and the Privy Council removed from the executive.

The Commission suggests a single transferable vote and makes other changes to the electoral system but says it won't work if the people do not understand or accept.

The Tongan Advisory Council has not waited for immense changes to step up efforts to help Tongan voices be heard. It has advocated for Tongans to be better involved in the NZ Parliamentary process, notably in 2004 during the NZ Parliamentary inquiry into the relationship with Tonga.

Recently TAC has been helping Niuatoputapu residents, harmed by the tsunami, to be remembered by government and nongovernmental organisations, some of whom had overlooked the isolated northern Tongan inhabitants.

We were pleased to be able to help the Tongan Red Cross, a leading non-governmental organisation, reach out to people on Niua Mr Maka says. We look forward to working with them and others to help show Tongans how their system of Parliament, government and the law work.

We have found that some government officials, some Parliamentarians, some media and others who play crucial roles in our political systems have not been as effective as they might. Similarly, some citizens have not known how the system works, and thus have not advocated as fully for themselves as they might, he said.

We have joined with the NZ Centre for Citizenship Education (CCE) to identify how to build citizenship education capacity for Tongans. With the help of Fr Mateo, a Wellington based priest now revisiting his family in Niuatoputapu, we have focused on how to empower citizens interested in rebuilding their lives and homes. Daily since the tsunami of 30 September we have prepared and published reports at www.tonganz.org to tell government, non-government, donor, and citizen audiences inside and outside Tonga about how the system was working to provide relief and reconstruction.

CCE has already advised the Tongan National Reconciliation and Civic Education conference early this year on the NZ model of civic education. This was directed by the Tongan Prime minister's advisor on civic education, participated in by Tongan Civil Society and other representatives.

CCE and TAC are in discussions with the Commonwealth Foundation as to how their governance and democracy programme can assist in Tonga and other Pacific islands.

The Tongan Advisory Council looks forward to supporting the implementation of the Constitutional and Electoral Commission's recommendations. "We look to and beyond the next Tongan election, and to the needs of current and future generations who should be able to participate in the business of their nation Mr Maka said.