The PGC Executive Board has announced that it has decided to expedite the process of selecting an alternative host nation for the 2019 Pacific Games, said a press release sent today.
In an attempt to resolve the issue concerning the withdrawal of Tonga from hosting the 2019 Games, the Pacific Games Council (PGC) President, Vidhya Lakhan, and CEO, Andrew Minogue, visited Nuku’alofa from 6-7 June.
During the visit, a meeting was held between the PGC and Prime Minister Pohiva and two of his Ministers at 4pm on Monday 6 June wherein the Prime Minister stated that the Cabinet’s decision for Tonga to withdraw from hosting the 2019 Pacific Games was final.
Further to the decision of withdrawal, the Prime Minister said the Government wished to focus its resources on other more important areas of economic development and that sport was not an urgent priority for the Government.
Listening to it, the PGC expressed its disappointment in not being consulted before the decision was taken and in the Government’s unwillingness to negotiate a solution for whatever financial concerns it had. The Prime Minister was reminded that the Government is a party to a legally binding contract and that in unilaterally withdrawing from hosting the Games, the PGC would seek legal advice with a view to formally terminating the Host Agreement and to seek damages for breach of contract.
Priorly, the PGC Executive Board had advised its members that it had put contingency plans in place for the process of selecting an alternative host nation quickly in the event that matters with the Tongan Government are not fully resolved by 30 June. The Executive Board will now consider expediting this process further.