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Prime Minister of Tonga

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Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Tonga
Palemia ʻo Tonga (Tongan)
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Tonga
Flag of Tonga
Incumbent
Samiu Vaipulu
(Acting)
since 9 December 2024
StyleThe Honourable
StatusHead of government
AbbreviationPM
Member of
SeatNuku’alofa
AppointerKing of Tonga
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Tonga
Inaugural holderTēvita ʻUnga (Premier)
Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Prime Minister)
Formation1876 (Premier)
1970 (Prime Minister)
DeputyDeputy Prime Minister of Tonga
SalaryT$ 94,500/US$ 40,212 annually[1]
Websitehttps://pmo.gov.to/
Politics of Tonga
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Prime Minister's office in Nukuʻalofa

The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the head of government of Tonga. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state.[2] The most recent prime minister was Siaosi Sovaleni, who was elected on 15 December 2021 and appointed on 27 December 2021.[3] Sovaleni was elected with 16 votes.[4][5][6] Siaosi Sovaleni resigned as prime minister on Monday 9 December 2024 ahead of a No confidence vote the same day. [7]

The office of prime minister was established by the Constitution of 1875, whose article 51 stipulates that the prime minister and other ministers are appointed and dismissed by the king.[8]

The prime minister is assisted by the deputy prime minister.

2000s democratization

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During the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV appointed Feleti Sevele, a moderate member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, as prime minister. Sevele was the first commoner to hold this post since Shirley Waldemar Baker in 1881. All the prime ministers since Baker had been members of the nobility, or even the royal family.[9]

In July 2008, King George Tupou V announced more substantial democratic reforms. He would abandon the essential part of his executive powers, and would henceforth follow the custom of monarchies such as the United Kingdom, exercising his prerogatives only with the prime minister's advice. In addition, he would no longer appoint the prime minister anyone he wished, but would appoint a member of the Legislative Assembly to be elected by the Legislative Assembly.[10][11][12]

List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga

[edit]
No. Portrait Name
(Lifespan) 		Term of office Party Cabinet Monarch
(Reign)
Start End Duration
1 Crown Prince
Tēvita ʻUnga
(1824 – 1879) 		1 January 1876 18 December 1879 3 years, 11 months Independent ʻUnga George Tupou I
r. 1845–1893
Vacant (18 December 1879 – April 1881)
2 Rev.
Shirley Waldemar Baker
(1836 – 1903) 		April 1881 July 1890 9 years, 3 months Independent Baker
3 Siaosi Tukuʻaho
(1854 – 1897) 		July 1890 1893 2–3 years Independent Tukuʻaho
4 Siosateki Tonga
(1853 – 1913) 		1893 January 1905 11–12 years Independent Veikune George Tupou II
r. 1893–1918
5 Siaosi Tuʻipelehake
(1842 – 1912) 		January 1905 January 1905 0 months Independent Pelehake
6 Sione Tupou Mateialona
(1852 – 1925) 		January 1905 30 September 1912 7 years, 7 months Independent Mateialona
7 Tevita Tuʻivakano
(1869 – 1923) 		30 September 1912 30 June 1923 10 years, 304 days Independent Tuʻivakano
Sālote Tupou III
r. 1918–1965
8 Prince
Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE
(1887 – 1941) 		30 June 1923 20 July 1941 18 years, 20 days Independent Mailefihi
9 Solomone Ula Ata OBE
(1883 – 1950) 		20 July 1941 12 December 1949 8 years, 145 days Independent Ula
10 Crown Prince
Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE
(1918 – 2006)
[a] 		12 December 1949 16 December 1965 16 years, 4 days Independent Tungī
11 Prince
Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE
(1922 – 1999) 		16 December 1965 22 August 1991 25 years, 249 days Independent Tuʻipelehake Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
r. 1965–2006
12 Baron
Siaosi Vaea
(1921 – 2009) 		22 August 1991 3 January 2000 8 years, 134 days Independent Vaea
13 Prince
ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata
(born 1959)
[b] 		3 January 2000 11 February 2006 6 years, 39 days Independent Lavaka
14 Feleti Sevele
(born 1944) 		30 March 2006 22 December 2010 4 years, 314 days Human Rights and Democracy Movement Sevele
George Tupou V
r. 2006–2012
15 Lord Tuʻivakanō
(born 1952) 		22 December 2010 30 December 2014 4 years, 8 days Independent Tuʻivakanō I–II
Tupou VI
r. 2012–present
16 ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
(1941 – 2019) 		30 December 2014 12 September 2019 4 years, 256 days Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands Pōhiva
— Semisi Sika
(born 1968)
acting 		12 September 2019 8 October 2019 26 days Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands Pōhiva
17 Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
(1951 – 2023) 		8 October 2019 27 December 2021 2 years, 80 days Tonga People's Party Tuʻiʻonetoa
18 Siaosi Sovaleni
(born 1970) 		27 December 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 348 days Independent Sovaleni
— Samiu Vaipulu
(born 1953)
acting 		9 December 2024 Incumbent 11 days Independent Sovaleni

Timeline

[edit]
Siaosi SovaleniPōhiva TuʻiʻonetoaSemisi SikaʻAkilisi PōhivaSialeʻataongo TuʻivakanōFeleti SeveleTupou VIBaron VaeaFatafehi TuʻipelehakeTāufaʻāhau Tupou IVSolomone Ula AtaViliami Tungī MailefihiTevita TuʻivakanoSione Tupou MateialonaSiaosi TuʻipelehakeSiosateki TongaSiaosi TukuʻahoShirley Waldemar BakerTēvita ʻUnga

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Later King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.
  2. ^ Later King Tupou VI.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "New Public Service Remuneration Structure Approved by the Government of Tonga". www.mic.gov.to.
  2. ^ "The Executive government ", Tonga government
  3. ^ "King Tupou VI appoints new Prime Minister". Matangi Tonga. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Emotional, Siaosi Sovaleni elected PM Designate". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  5. ^ "MPs choose Siaosi Sovaleni as new prime minister". Kaniva Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Two nominees for PM Designate revealed, meeting underway". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Tonga PM Hu'akavameiliku resigns". RNZ. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  8. ^ Constitution of Tonga Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Tonga gets first elected leader", BBC, 13 February 2006
  10. ^ "Tonga's king to cede key powers", BBC, 29 July 2008
  11. ^ "Tongan king promises 'more democracy' for Pacific island", The Guardian, 29 July 2008
  12. ^ "King of Tonga prepares to give up power", The Telegraph, 11 July 2010
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