01st March 2018 TONGAN The Legislative Assembly of Tonga will be temporarily relocating to the Tonga National Center that was built by generous aid from the government and people of Japan.
The relocation comes after Tropical Cyclone Gita destroyed the Legislative Assembly’s chambers that has housed the Legislature since the year 1892. The Legislative Assembly was due to relocate to the Fa’onelua Convention Center, but the venue has been changed to the Tonga National Center, where the Legislative Assembly will be housed until a new Legislative Assembly complex is built.
Because the location of the Tonga National Centre was not within the Nuku’alofa area, an amendment was recently made to a Government Gazette made in 1984 for its inclusion in the Nuku’alofa boundary. This was to ensure compliance with clause 38 of the Act of the Constitution of Tonga, which provides that the Legislative Assembly shall always meet in Nuku’alofa except in times of war.
The Legislative Assembly and the Office of the Legislative Assembly, including the Lord Speaker, Honorable Members of the Assembly and all staff, will be hosted from the Tonga National Center, at Nuku’alofa as of Monday 5th March 2018. The Legislative Assembly will also reconvene on the same day as previously announced.
