Human Rights and Democracy Movement | |
---|---|
Leader | ‘Uliti Uata |
Founded | 1970s (informal) 1992 (formal) |
The Human Rights and Democracy Movement (HRDM) is a political party in Tonga. Its leader is Uliti Uata. It states its ideology to be democracy, social justice, opposition to corruption, and women's rights. [1]
The HRDM was founded in the late 1970s as an informal group of Tongans interested in democratic reform. [2] It was formalised in 1992 as the Pro-Democracy Movement, and contested several elections under that name. In October 1998, it changed its name to the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. [3]
In November 1992 the then-Pro-Democracy Movement held a constitutional convention which discussed the structure and history of the Constitution of Tonga and compared it to arrangements overseas. [4] [5] A follow-up convention was held in 1999, but this was less successful. [3]
At the 1999 elections, candidates aligned with the HRDM gained five seats in the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. The results were a disappointment for the HRDM, which had expected to win at least seven seats. [3]
At the 2002 elections, supporters of the HRDM won seven of the nine seats reserved for commoners. At the 2005 elections they also won seven seats, and following the election HRDM-aligned People's Representatives Feleti Sevele and Sione Haukinima were appointed to Cabinet. Sevele later became the first commoner to serve as Prime Minister of Tonga. [6]
At the 2008 elections, the HRDM won only 4 seats.
In the leadup to the 2010 elections several members of the HRDM, including longstanding MP 'Akilisi Pohiva founded the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands as an explicit electoral vehicle. [7]
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