|
2021 Tongan General Election
General elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 to elect 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Legislative Assembly. Following the election four MPs were unseated for bribery. Background The 2017 Tongan general election, 2017 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands ( to, Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa, or PTOA), and ʻAkilisi Pōhiva was re-elected as Prime Minister, defeating former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni 14 votes to 12. In September 2019 Pohiva died, and Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was elected as Prime Minister with the support of the nobles, independent MPs, and 5 former members of the DPFI. His cabinet included three nobles, who had previously been excluded under Pohiva. In December 2020 Democratic party leader Semisi Sika submitted a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa. The motion was backed by Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fa'otusia, who sub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legislative Assembly Of Tonga
The Legislative Assembly of Tonga ( to, Fale Alea ʻo Tonga) is the unicameral legislature of Tonga. The assembly has 26 members in which 17 members elected by majority of the people for a 5-year term in multi-seat constituencies via the single non-transferable vote system. There are 9 members elected by the 33 hereditary nobles of Tonga. The Assembly is controlled by the speaker of the House who is elected by majority of the elected members of Parliament and constitutionally appointed by the king. History A Legislative Assembly providing for representation of nobles and commoners was established in 1862 by King George Tupou I. This body met every four years and was continued in the 1875 Constitution. Originally the Legislative Assembly consisted of all holders of noble titles, an equal number of people's representatives, the governors for Ha’apai and Vava’u, and at least four Cabinet Ministers chosen by the monarch. An increase in the number of nobles from twenty to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ʻAkosita Lavulavu
Akosita Havili Lavulavu (born 1985) is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. In 2021 she was jailed for fraud. Lavulavu is the wife of former MP Etuate Lavulavu. She was educated at Tonga High School, with tertiary study at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, earning a Bachelor in Information System, and the University of the South Pacific, earning an MBA. Before entering politics, she was the director of the Unuaki o Tonga Royal Institute. Following her husband's conviction for bribery in 2016 she stood in the resulting by-election and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, becoming the 5th female MP in Tonga's history. She was re-elected at the 2017 general election, after which she was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs and Sports. On 3 March 2018, Lavulavu and her husband were both arrested on fraud charges stemming from their management of the Unuaki o Tonga Royal Institute in 2016. She was subsequently sacked from her Ministerial position. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siaosi Pōhiva
Siaosi Pōhiva is a Tongan politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. He is the eldest son of former Tongan Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and Neomai Tuitupou Of Kolomotua he is also a member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands. Pōhiva has previously worked for the Educational Quality and Assessment Program of the Pacific Community. He was elected to Parliament in a by-election following the death of his father in 2019. In December 2019 Pōhiva was elected president of the Tonga Rugby Union. He contested the 2021 Tongan general election General elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 to elect 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Legislative Assembly. Following the election four MPs were unseated for bribery. Background The 2017 Tongan general ele ..., but was unsuccessful. References Living people Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands politicians Year of bir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonga People's Party
The Tonga People's Party ( to, Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga, abbr. PAK) is a Tongan political party founded in 2019 by the new parliamentary majority. History In the 2017 general election, the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI) was the only one represented in the Legislative Assembly, obtaining 14 of the 17 seats reserved for the popular vote. For this reason, ʻAkilisi Pōhiva remained in the post of Prime Minister, until his death in 2019. The remaining three seats were held by independent candidates. As a result of the deaths of the Head of Government and in anticipation of the election of a new one by the Assembly, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa left the government with three other DPFI deputies, and joined to the parliamentary opposition, announcing the creation of the Tonga People's Party, composed of representatives of the Tongan nobility and independent parliamentarians. On 27 September, Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 are variable but often include fever, cough, headache, fatigue, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste. Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms. Of those who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be classified as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms ( dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% develop critical symptoms ( respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction). Older people are at a higher risk of developing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sione Fonua
Sione Fonua (born 19 September 1980) is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as wing/centre. Career Powerfully built 1.93m tall, 110kg and running the 100m in 11sec flat Sione Fonua was a formidable opponent for any team and anyone marking him. Another product of the powerhouse Auckland secondary schools Kelston Boys High, Fonua first turned out for Aucklands Ponsonby Ponies premier side in 2001 playing on the right wing or centre. Fonua was first capped for Tonga during a test match against Samoa on 15 June 2002, in Nuku'alofa. He was later called up for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where he played four matches in the tournament. References External linksSione Fonua international statisticsat ESPN Scrum ESPNscrum was an online news site based in United Kingdom dedicate to providing the latest news in Rugby union. It provided live minute-by-minute updates on major international and club games and kept an in-depth statistics on every international ...Sione Fonua at New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cabinet Of Tonga
The Cabinet of Tonga is the cabinet (executive branch) of the government of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is composed primarily of the ministers of government. The latter, including the Prime Minister, are appointed by the monarch. The Governor of Ha'apai and the Governor of Vava'u also serve on the Cabinet ''ex officio''. When in session and presided over by the monarch, the Cabinet is known as the Privy Council. Current Cabinet The current Cabinet was appointed by Siaosi Sovaleni on 28 December 2021. It consisted of ten elected people's representatives, one noble, and one minister outside cabinet - long-serving diplomat Fekitamoeloa ʻUtoikamanu as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism. In addition, Pita Faiva Taufatofua was named Governor of Haʻapai, while Lord Fakatulolo was reappointed as Governor of Vavaʻu. Agriculture Minister Viliami Hingano died in June 2022. Sione Siale Fohe was appointed to replace him on 2 August 2022. The elections of Tatafu Moeaki, Poasi Tei, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niuafoʻou
Niuafoou (meaning ''many new coconuts'') is the northernmost island in the kingdom of Tonga. One of the Niua Islands, it is located in the southern Pacific Ocean between Fiji and Samoa, north of Tongatapu island group and northwest of Vavaʻu. It is a volcanic rim island with an area of and a population of 431 (as of 2021). The volcano is active and has erupted regularly since 1814, with its last major eruption in 1985. The Niuafoʻou language is spoken on the island. Geography Niuafoou is a volcano located on an underwater ridge west of the line along which all the other volcanoes of Tonga are ranged. The island contains a steep-sided caldera; its rim is over high. It rises to a height of at Mokotu. The coastline is rocky and steep, with only a few beaches, all of which are stony, with black sand. The only landing place on the island is at the end of a lava flow in Futu, which is in the western part of the island. All the villages are in the north and east. Public places ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niuatoputapu
Niuatoputapu is a high island in the island nation of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. Its highest point is , and its area is . Its name means ''sacred island''. Older European names for the island are Traitors Island or Keppel Island. Niuatoputapu is located in the north of the Tonga island group, away from Vavau near the border with Samoa. Its closest neighbours are the small island of Tafahi, which is only to the north-northeast, and the island of Niuafo'ou. Those three islands together form the administrative division of the Niuas. Niuatoputapu Airport accepts international flights. The population was 719 in 2021. Until several centuries ago, the inhabitants spoke the Niuatoputapu language, but it was replaced by the Tongan language and went extinct. Nevertheless, the variety of Tongan spoken on Niuatoputapu contains elements of Samoan, Uvean, and Futunan. Geography Niuatoputapu’s highest central area, just beside Vaipoa, is a hill only high. It is the eroded remnant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ʻEua
Eua is an island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is close to Tongatapu, but forms a separate administrative division. It has an area of , and a population in 2021 of 4,903 people. Geography Eua is a hilly island, the highest peaks are the ''Teemoa'' (chicken manure) 312 m, and the ''Vaiangina'' (watersprings) 305 m. The island is not volcanic, but was shaped by the rubbing of the Tonga Plate against the Pacific Plate, pushing Eua up and leaving the Tonga Trench on the bottom of the ocean, a short distance towards the east. The soil of Eua is volcanic, as is that of Tongatapu, but only the top layer, deposited by eruptions of nearby volcanoes ten thousands years ago. Under it are the solid rocks of pushed-up coral. Eua counts many huge caves and holes, not all of which have yet been explored. Eua and Niuatoputapu are the only islands in Tonga that have streams, and ʿEua had the only bridge in the kingdom until Vavau also built one. The stream drains into the harbour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haʻapai
Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs, and shoals in the central part of Tonga. It has a combined land area of . The Tongatapu island group lies to its south, and the Vavaʻu group lies to its north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are inhabited. Their combined population is 5,419. The highest point in the Ha‘apai group, and in all of Tonga, is on Kao, which rises almost above sea level. The administrative capital village of Haʻapai District is Pangai, which is located on Lifuka. Geography Haʻapai comprises 51 islands that lie directly west of the Tonga Trench. They constitute a chain of both volcanic and coral islands, including Kao, the highest point in the kingdom, which stands high. Farther to the east are the coral islands, which are inhabited. The Haʻapai archipelago lies north of Tongatapu and south of Vavaʻu. Seventeen of the islands are inhabited, including the main islands of Lifuka and Foa. The two main villages in the archipelago are Pangai on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vavaʻu
Vavau is an island group, consisting of one large island ( ʻUtu Vavaʻu) and 40 smaller ones, in Tonga. It is part of Vavaʻu District, which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition, the Maui god created both Tongatapu and Vavau, but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises above sea level at Mount Talau. The capital is Neiafu, situated at the Port of Refuge (Puatalefusi or Lolo-a-Halaevalu). History Myths and legends In Polynesia, it is said that the islands were created by the god Maui, who reached into the bottom of the sea with his magic hook, caught something on it, and pulled it up to the sea surface, and it became the islands of Vavau. Recorded history Don Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa, commanding the Spanish frigate ''Princesa'', was the first European to come to Vavau, which he did on 4 March 1781. He charted Vavaʻu as ''Martín de Mayorga'', naming it after the man who was the Viceroy of New Spain at that time. Captai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
