Tongan marriage bad for piglets
MICHAEL FIELD
Last updated 11:08 12/07/2012
Tonga's royal cousins are marrying today in a lavish ceremony that will end up a bad day for hundreds of piglets.
The weeklong ceremonies also mark the end of a 100 day mourning period for the late King George V and have also delayed a deep political crisis which is expected to end with the collapse of the first democratically elected government.
But for much of the week Tongans have been marking traditional and civil nuptial rituals for the royal couple.
As is standard in Tonga, the commoners are expected to contribute to the royal feasting with offerings of cooked pigs.
In the past the Tongan Government, which has been controlled by the royal family, funded royal weddings, but the new King Tupou VI has told family they will pay for the wedding.
The wedding will be held this afternoon at the Free Wesleyan Centenary Church in Nuku'alofa.
Throughout the wedding, Tonga has suffered a severe political hiatus after commoner MPs in the 38 seat Legislative Assembly moved a vote of no confidence in the noble controlled government of Lord Siale'ataongo Tu'ivakano.
The vote has been delayed by the royal wedding, but on current numbers it seems likely the government will fall.
Tu'ivakano has not got enough numbers to even fill his current cabinet and has no designated police or agriculture ministers. The vote is likely next week.
Compounding the problems, the Speaker, Havea Hikule'o who is styled Lord Lasike, was on Monday convicted of possession of ammunition, an indictable offence. He was fined 500 pa'anga (NZ$350) but could lose his seat in the assembly.
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