MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2 March 2010

Abdication Media Frenzy Not Fact Says Royal Family Representative

Kaahui Ariki representative Lady Raiha Mahuta is distressed by negative reporting in the Waikato Times today (Tuesday, 2 March 2010).

In 2002, Lady Raiha was appointed by Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu as her representative on the Waikato-Tainui tribal parliament Te Kauhanganui. She says over the years the Mahuta family has been slandered without recourse or any type of regard, and these most recent stains on the head of the Kaahui Ariki are unacceptable to her family.

“Even though the case over my husband and Te Arikinui has concluded, the scars of that time have remained,” said Lady Raiha

“Waikato-Tainui is not new to this type of media manufactured dissention. It has become too convenient for people to hide behind media anonymity to deliberately misinform rather than be held accountable in Te Kauhanganui. In the recent barrage, the news items are clearly not balanced nor do they provide reference to substantiate the reporter has fully investigated statements. We are then left with misconstrued facts and the exploit of information from unnamed sources.

“For the record, at the Te Kauhanganui meeting we were privy to an impassioned plea to change our behaviour especially in regards to the current bickering over internal employment matters as well as a trustee’s removal from board delegated responsibilities.

“Te Ururangi Trust was designed to give the Kiingitanga Office independence from the tribe’s daily operations. There was no mention in the address of the Directors of Te Ururangi as deliberately miscommunicated in today’s article.

“It is embarrassing, frustrating and increasingly uncomfortable to deal with other iwi, leaders and heads of state because of the behaviour in Te Kauhanganui. There is an expectation that we need to change how we run our affairs.

“While we know that there is dissention and disunity at work in Te Kauhanganui, there is public and wide respect for the King’s role and we need to understand this,” said Lady Mahuta.

“Abdication was definitely not on his mind during the speech as he is fully aware of the roles and responsibilities that he has under the Kiingitanga.”

ENDS

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