| Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga | |
|---|---|
| Palemia ʻo Tonga ( Tongan) | |
 | |
 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Status | Head of government |
| Abbreviation | PM |
| Member of | |
| Seat | Nuku’alofa |
| Appointer | King of Tonga |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Tonga |
| Inaugural holder |
Tēvita ʻUnga (Premier) Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Prime Minister) |
| Formation | 1876 (Premier) 1970 (Prime Minister) |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga |
| Salary | T$ 94,500/US$ 40,212 annually [1] |
| Website | https://pmo.gov.to/ |
|
|
|---|
| Constitution |
| Administrative divisions |
The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the country's head of government. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state. [2] The current prime minister is 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]
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. [7]
The prime minister is assisted by the deputy prime minister.
2000s democratization
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. [8]
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. [9] [10] [11]
List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga (1876–present)
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crown Prince Tēvita ʻUnga ( c. 1824–1879) | 1 January 1876 | 18 December 1879 † | 3 years, 351 days | Independent | George Tupou I | |
| Vacant (18 December 1879 – April 1881) | |||||||
| 2 | Rev. Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836–1903) | April 1881 | July 1890 | 9 years, 3 months | Independent | George Tupou I | |
| 3 |
Siaosi Tukuʻaho (1854–1897) | July 1890 | 1893 | 2–3 years | Independent | George Tupou I | |
| 4 |
Siosateki Veikune (1853–1913) | 1893 | January 1905 | 11–12 years | Independent | George Tupou II | |
| 5 |
Siaosi Tuʻi Pelehake (1842–1912) | January 1905 | January 1905 | 0 months | Independent | George Tupou II | |
| 6 |
Sione Tupou Mateialona (1852–1925) | January 1905 | 30 September 1912 | 7 years, 7 months | Independent | George Tupou II | |
| 7 |
Tevita Tuʻivakano (1869–1923) | 30 September 1912 | 30 June 1923 | 10 years, 304 days | Independent |
George Tupou II Sālote Tupou III | |
| 8 | Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE (1887–1941) | 30 June 1923 | 20 July 1941 | 18 years, 20 days | Independent | Sālote Tupou III | |
| 9 |
Solomone Ula Ata
OBE (1883–1950) | 20 July 1941 | 12 December 1949 | 8 years, 145 days | Independent | Sālote Tupou III | |
| 10 | Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE (1918–2006) [a] | 12 December 1949 | 16 December 1965 | 16 years, 4 days | Independent | Sālote Tupou III | |
| 11 | Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE (1922–1999) | 16 December 1965 | 22 August 1991 | 25 years, 249 days | Independent | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | |
| 12 |
Baron Vaea (1921–2009) | 22 August 1991 | 3 January 2000 | 8 years, 134 days | Independent | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | |
| 13 | Prince ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho (born 1959) [b] | 3 January 2000 | 11 February 2006 | 6 years, 39 days | Independent | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | |
| 14 |
Lord Sevele of Vailahi (born 1944) | 30 March 2006 | 22 December 2010 | 4 years, 314 days | HRDM |
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV George Tupou V | |
| 15 |
Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 1952) | 22 December 2010 | 30 December 2014 | 4 years, 8 days | Independent |
George Tupou V Tupou VI | |
| 16 |
ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (1941–2019) | 30 December 2014 | 12 September 2019 † | 4 years, 256 days | DPFI | Tupou VI | |
| — |
Semisi Sika (born 1968) Acting | 12 September 2019 | 8 October 2019 | 26 days | DPFI | Tupou VI | |
| 17 |
Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (1951–2023) | 8 October 2019 | 27 December 2021 | 2 years, 80 days | TPPI | Tupou VI | |
| 18 |
Siaosi Sovaleni (born 1970) | 27 December 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 113 days | Independent | Tupou VI | |
.png)
.jpg)
Timeline
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "New Public Service Remuneration Structure Approved by the Government of Tonga". www.mic.gov.to.
- ^ "The Executive government ", Tonga government
- ^ "King Tupou VI appoints new Prime Minister". Matangi Tonga. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Emotional, Siaosi Sovaleni elected PM Designate". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "MPs choose Siaosi Sovaleni as new prime minister". Kaniva Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "Two nominees for PM Designate revealed, meeting underway". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Constitution of Tonga Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Tonga gets first elected leader", BBC, 13 February 2006
- ^ "Tonga's king to cede key powers", BBC, 29 July 2008
- ^ "Tongan king promises 'more democracy' for Pacific island", The Guardian, 29 July 2008
- ^ "King of Tonga prepares to give up power", The Telegraph, 11 July 2010
External links
| ||
* acting | ||
