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17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 61.92% | ||||||||||||||||||
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Constitution |
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Administrative divisions |
General elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 to elect 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly. [1]
Following the elections, four MPs were unseated for bribery. [2]
The 2017 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands ( Tongan: Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa, or PTOA), [3] and ʻAkilisi Pōhiva was re-elected as Prime Minister, defeating former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni 14 votes to 12. [4] In September 2019 Pohiva died, [5] and Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was elected as Prime Minister with the support of the nobles, independent MPs, and 5 former members of the DPFI. [6] [7] His cabinet included three nobles, who had previously been excluded under Pohiva. [8]
In December 2020 Democratic party leader Semisi Sika submitted a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa. [9] The motion was backed by Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fa'otusia, [10] who subsequently resigned from Cabinet. [9] [11] The Legislative Assembly rejected the no-confidence motion 13-9 on 12 January 2021. [12]
Following ʻAkilisi Pōhiva's death the PTOA fragmented, with rivalries emerging between Siaosi Pohiva and his brother-in-law Mateni Tapueluelu. [13] In the leadup to the election this led to a formal split, with Pohiva leaving the party's board and "core team". [14]
In the leadup to the election Infrastructure and Tourism Minister ʻAkosita Lavulavu and her husband ʻEtuate Lavulavu, who had previously served as a Minister, were both convicted of obtaining money by false pretenses [15] [16] and sentenced to six years in prison by the Supreme Court. [17] [18]
The Legislative Assembly of Tonga has up to 30 members, of whom 17 are directly elected by first-past-the-post voting from single-member constituencies. The island of Tongatapu has ten constituencies, Vavaʻu three, Haʻapai two and ʻEua and Niuatoputapu/ Niuafoʻou one each. [19] Nine seats are held by members of the nobility, who elect representatives amongst themselves. [20] The Cabinet formed by a Prime Minister may include up to four members not elected to the Assembly, who then automatically become members of the legislature. [20] Around 60,000 voters were eligible to vote. [21]
Parliament was dissolved on 16 September. [22] 75 candidates, including 12 women, registered to contest the election. [23] [24] One candidate, Sione Fonua, later withdrew, while a second one died, leaving 73 candidates in total. [25] Despite a week-long lockdown due to a COVID-19 case, the election was not delayed. [26]
Prime Minister Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa did not promote his Tonga People's Party during the campaign, and several Ministers ran as independents. [27]
Voters elected an all-male parliament, with nine new people's representatives. [28] The leaders of both Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (PTOA), Semisi Sika and Siaosi Pōhiva, lost their seats, as did other senior PTOA MP's. [29] While the PTOA won majorities in most constituencies, vote-splitting between the rival factions saw them lose seats to independent candidates. [30] Only three PTOA candidates were elected: Semisi Fakahau, Veivosa Taka and Saia Piukala. [31] The People's Party formally retained only one seat, [32] but may name its members after the elections. [33]
The Electoral Commission reported that voter turnout was 62%. [34]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | 3 | –11 | |||
Tonga People's Party | 1 | New | |||
Independents | 13 | +10 | |||
Nobles' representatives | 9 | 0 | |||
Total | 26 | – | |||
Total votes | 38,550 | – | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 62,253 | 61.92 |
Constituency | Elected | Party [31] [32] | Votes |
---|---|---|---|
Tongatapu 1 | Tēvita Fatafehi Puloka | Independent | 1,695 |
Tongatapu 2 | ʻUhilamoelangi Fasi | Independent | 962 |
Tongatapu 3 | Siaosi Sovaleni | Independent | 2,084 |
Tongatapu 4 | Tatafu Moeaki | Independent | 1,237 |
Tongatapu 5 | ʻAisake Eke | Independent | 958 |
Tongatapu 6 | Poasi Tei | Independent [27] | 1,771 |
Tongatapu 7 | Sione Sangster Saulala | Independent | 810 |
Tongatapu 8 | Semisi Fakahau | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | 1,020 |
Tongatapu 9 | Sevenitini Toumoʻua | Independent | 828 |
Tongatapu 10 | Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa | Tonga People's Party | 1,303 |
ʻEua 11 | Taniela Fusimalohi | Independent | 1,072 |
Haʻapai 12 | Viliami Hingano | Independent | 475 |
Haʻapai 13 | Veivosa Taka | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | 731 |
Vavaʻu 14 | Saia Piukala | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | 1,010 |
Vavaʻu 15 | Samiu Vaipulu | Independent | 747 |
Vavaʻu 16 | Viliami Latu | Independent | 1,047 |
Ongo Niua 17 | Vatau Hui | Independent [27] | 367 |
Source: [29] |
Constituency | Elected | Votes |
---|---|---|
‘Eua | Lord Nuku | 11 |
Ha‘apai | Lord Tu‘iha‘angana | 5 |
Fatafehi Fakafanua | 4 | |
Niuas | Prince Fotofili | 2 |
Tongatapu | Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō | 12 |
ʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea | 13 | |
Sione Siale Fohe | 10 | |
Vavaʻu | Malakai Fakatoufifita | 8 |
Tonga Tuʻiʻafitu | 9 | |
Source: Matangi Tonga |
Following the election Viliami Tangi was appointed interim Speaker. [35] Three candidates initially announced their candidacy for Prime Minister: Interim Prime Minister Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa, former Finance Minister ʻAisake Eke, and former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni. [36] [37] Tuʻiʻonetoa later withdrew his candidacy, leaving Sovaleni as the frontrunner. [38]
The Legislative Assembly met on 15 December to elect a Prime Minister, with both Sovaleni and Eke being nominated. [39] Sovaleni was elected with 16 votes. [40] [41] Fatafehi Fakafanua was re-elected as Speaker. [42] Sovaleni was formally appointed Prime Minister on 27 December, [43] and announced his cabinet on 29 December. [44] [45] parliament was formally opened on 11 January 2022. [46]
Following the election Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was found guilty of bribery in an election petition and stripped of his seat. [47] [48] Sangster Saulala was found guilty of two counts of bribery on 2 May 2022 and his election declared void. [49] [50] Tatafu Moeaki was found guilty of bribery on 6 May, [51] and Poasi Tei on 13 May. [52] Election petitions against Tevita Puloka and 'Uhilamoelangi Fasi were unsuccessful. [2] On 26 May 2022 the convictions were stayed pending appeal. [53] On 9 August 2022 the appeals by Saulala, Tei and Moeaki were dismissed, and their elections were confirmed as void. [54] Tu’i’onetoa's appeal was upheld and he remains in parliament. [55] [56] Saulala, Tei and Moeaki were formally unseated by Parliament and their seats declared vacant on 10 August, [57] sparking the 2022 Tongatapu by-elections. [58]