Tongans go to the polls

Tongans went to the polls Thursday to choose nine representatives for a parliament still dominated by the South Pacific nation's king and nobility.

The election is due to be the last before planned political reforms in 2010, which will see the majority of seats in the 33-seat parliament filled by popularly elected legislators.

The vote is the first since a November 2006 riot, sparked by a pro-democracy political rally, which left eight people dead and swathes of the centre of the capital Nuku'alofa looted and burned to the ground.

Five of the nine sitting people's representatives in the parliament are seeking reelection despite facing sedition charges over their alleged roles in the riot.

"I think they will lose a lot of votes from people who associate them with the riots," said one voter who did not want to be named.

"But then again, a lot of people were very happy with the tinned beef and the free loot, so, who knows? They might vote to express their thanks," he said wryly.

A total of 71 candidates have put their names forward for the nine seats, with more than 68,000 registered to vote in the scattered islands of Polynesia's last monarchy.

On Wednesday, 33 nobles voted to elect their nine legislative representatives. Another 15 seats in the parliament are filled by the prime minister and cabinet, who are chosen by King Siaosi Tupou V.