THE Tongan Government is reportedly considering withdrawing from the Miss Pacific Pageant following the debacle of the event in Honiara three weeks ago.
MATANGI TONGA Online disclosed this in a news report it published on Friday February 28 (Saturday Solomon Time).
The paper quoted the country’s Minister for Justice and Tourism, Mo’ale Finau that Tonga might create and lead a new competition.
Minister Finau thinks that Tonga should explore the idea of establishing an alternative platform that would better serve the region, he told a media briefing at the St George Government building last Friday (Saturday, Solomon Islands time).
“The reason why we’re thinking of withdrawing is so we can come together and discuss creating a new competition,” he said.
While this decision is not yet official, Minister Finau said that Tonga has the potential to lead such an initiative, given its strong educational presence.
“Why can’t we create a new competition, then invite the rest of the Pacific to participate?” he said. I think we can do it…”
This idea followed a recent investigation by the SIG into activities of judges at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant, following allegations of fraud by judges in the pageant judging in Honiara on 8 February.
SIG intervened by issuing a stop notice against all four judges after receiving serious allegations of “fraudulent activities” on the final night of the event, which concluded with Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia-Allan as the new Miss Pacific Islands, succeeding Miss Moemoana Schwenke of Samoa who won the crown in Nauru in early 2024.
Samoan Jerry Brunt – the lead judge in the competition – was finally allowed to leave a few days later. Mr Brunt, a lawyer by profession, vowed to take legal action to clear his name.
By Alfred Sasako
