TONGA

ACT OF CONSTITUTION OF TONGA (AMENDMENT) ACT 1997
No. 16

I assent,

TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV,
29th October, 1997.

AN ACT
TO AMEND THE ACT OF CONSTITUTION OF TONGA

[8th October, 1997.]

BE IT ENACTED by the King and Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the Legislature of the Kingdom as follows:

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Act of Constitution of Tonga (Amendment) Act 1997.

(2) The Act of Constitution of Tonga (Cap 2), as amended, is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

2. Clause 77 of the Principal Act is repealed and replaced by the following clause:

"77. (1) Elections shall ordinarily be held for all the representatives of the nobles and the people every three years and the Prime Minister may fix any date for an election between January and June in an election year whether or not three years have passed since the previous elections.

Notwithstanding subclause (1) it shall be lawful for the King, at his pleasure, to dissolve the Legislative Assembly, and command that new elections be held at any time. In such an event the year of that election shall become the election year for the purposes of subclause(1)".

3. Clause 113 of the Principal Act is repealed and replaced by the following clause:

"113. Tongan male subjects by birth of or over the age of 16 years may be granted town allotments and tax allotments out of estates granted in pursuance of this Constitution with the consent of or upon consultation with the estate holder and out of the lands of the Crown, by the Minister of Lands. Such allotments shall be hereditary and shall be of such size and at an annual rent as may be determined by law. A widow shall have the right to succeed according to law, to her deceased husband's tax and town allotments."

Passed by the Legislative Assembly this 8 day of October 1997.

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