Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae attended the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Act of the Constitution of Tonga last week.
Sir Bob Dadae travelled to Tonga on Wednesday and was met on arrival by Minister for Revenue and Customs, Mateni Tapueluelu, Director of Cabinet Division of Tonga’s Prime Minister’s Office Akanesi Taufa, Chief of Protocol Ilaisipa Alipate and Papua New Guinea’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Sakias Tameo.
On Friday, Sir Bob attended a Royal Breakfast hosted by the King of Tonga, George Tupou VI, and afterwards accompanied the Tongan King to witness the commissioning of the Queen Salote International Wharf Port in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa.
The Governor General paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Tonga, Dr Aisake Valu Eke, and attended a welcome reception hosted by Crown Prince Tupouto’a Ulukalala.
Dr Eke thanked the PNG Government for supporting Tongan students attending education institutions in PNG and expressed his desire to see both governments increase collaboration in areas of trade, fisheries and tourism.
The Governor General and Lady Emeline Dadae attended a Thanksgiving Service yesterday with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u.
Sir Bob is expected to have an audience with King Tupou VI and will attend a Remembrance Service and Wreath Laying Ceremony with the King of Tonga at the conclusion of the Sesquicentennial Celebrations of the Constitution of Tonga.
The Governor-General was invited by the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga to attend a weeklong event of activities marking 150 years of the enactment of Tonga’s Constitution on 4 November 1875, which established Tonga as a constitutional monarchy.
The Constitution of Tonga promotes fundamental civil and human rights for individuals, including freedom of worship and press, blending traditional Tongan values with modern democratic principles to ensure political stability, and establishes separation of powers – executive (King and Cabinet), Legislative (Legislative Assembly) and Judiciary.
Tonga’s Constitution has established the country’s independence preventing it from being colonized by European powers and protects land ownership and sale of land to foreigners.
Papua New Guinea and the Kingdom of Tonga established diplomatic relations in 1980.