1990 Tongan General Election
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General elections were held in
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
on 14 and 15 February 1990 to elect members of the
Legislative Assembly of Tonga The Legislative Assembly of Tonga () is the unicameral legislature of Tonga. 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 ...
. Nine nobles and nine people's representatives were elected. Seven of the latter favoured democratic reform. Voter turnout was 65.4%.


Background

The 1987 Tongan general election saw the election of Laki Niu and
ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Samiuela ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (7 April 1941 – 12 September 2019) was a Tongan pro-democracy activist and politician. A key leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), he served as the Prime Minister of Tonga from 2014 to his ...
and an increased focus on accountability for the government, particularly in the areas of parliamentary allowances, passport sales, and financial management. After a series of evasive Ministerial answers and Ministers using international travel to avoid being questioned entirely, in September 1989 all the elected People's Representatives walked out, returning only when they would have forfeited their seats. On their return, they introduced motions calling for a reduction in the number of Noble Representatives and an increase in the number of People's Representatives. The first was voted down, and the second subsequently withdrawn.


Campaign

Parliament was closed on 29 October 1989. During December and January conservatives led by Lord Fusituʻa attempted to enlist the church to back a "church and state" campaign and formed a ''de facto'' political party. In January 1990 King
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was List of monarchs of Tonga, King of Tonga from 1965 until his death in 2006. He was the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, weighing and measuring . ...
intervened in the election, giving an interview to ''
Matangi Tonga ''Matangi Tonga'' is an online newspaper providing Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is abou ...
'' in which he complained about the walkout and said that change could become uncontrollable and result in a
Coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
. The ''
Times of Tonga The Times of Tonga (''Taimi o Tonga'') was a biweekly newspaper in Tonga. First published in April 1989, it was published for 30 years by editor and publisher Kalafi Moala and was a frequent target of the Tongan government. Moala sold the business ...
'' reported that claims that reformers were communists attempting to overthrow the government was a campaign of fear. Two days before the election an attempt was made to nullify the candidacies of two reformist candidates on the grounds of debt; the debts were immediately paid and they remained on the ballot.


Results


People's seats


References

{{Tongan elections
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
1990 in Tonga Elections in Tonga May 1990 in Oceania