Kiribati
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
with Chinese heritage.
He was first elected to the
House of Assembly of Kiribati
The House of Assembly (, ) is the sole chamber of the Parliament of Kiribati. Since 2016, it has 45 members, 44 elected for a four-year term in 23 single-seat and multi-seat constituency, constituencies and 1 non-elected delegate from the Banab ...
in 1983, representing the constituency of
South Tarawa
South Tarawa () is the capital and hub of the Republic of Kiribati and home to more than half of Kiribati's population. The South Tarawa population centre consists of all the small islets from Betio in the west to Bonriki and Tanaea in the n ...
, the country's capital. He was re-elected in 1987, but resigned from Parliament in 1989, before the end of his term. He returned to Parliament in the 1998 election, and was re-elected in 2003 and in 2007, still representing South Tarawa. Again, however, he resigned before the end of the latter term.
He stood for president in the 1998 election, lost to the incumbent,
Teburoro Tito
Teburoro Tito (born 25 August 1953) is an I-Kiribati politician and diplomat who served as the third president of Kiribati from 1994 to 2003.
Early life
Teburoro Tito was born in Tanaeang, a village in Tabiteuea North, on 25 August 1952 or 1953. ...
,"Background Note: Kiribati" US Department of State, May 2009 and became
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
. He was not able to take part in the February 2003 Presidential Election, as his party selected Taberannang Timeon to stand in his place. Tito was re-elected. Shortly thereafter, Tong questioned President Tito about the lease deal which enabled the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to maintain a satellite-tracking facility on
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Sino-Pacific relations
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China (PRC; "China") and the Republic of China (ROC; "Taiwan"), a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. ...
.) Tong emphasised that Chinese ambassador Ma Shuxue had admitted having donated €2,000 to a "cooperative society linked to Tito". The resulting controversy brought down the President's newly elected government through a
vote of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
Anote Tong
Anote Tong (; born 11 June 1952) is an I-Kiribati environmental activist and former politician for the Pillars of Truth party with half Chinese heritage, who served as the fourth president of Kiribati, from 2003 to 2016. He won the election in ...
, of the Pillars of Truth party. The brothers received 43.5 and 47.4% of the vote respectively - 12,457 votes to 13,556. The campaign was contentious, with Anote accusing Harry of "womanising".
The
2007 Presidential election
This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto list of sovereign states, sovereign states and their list of dependent territories, dependent territories. Referendums are included ...
was controversial. Candidates for the presidency are selected by Parliament, and Harry Tong did not receive parliamentary nomination; nor did any member of the Protect the Maneaba party, despite it being the main opposition party. Anote Tong was re-elected.
Unlike his younger brother Anote, who as president has emphasised the need to adapt to climate change, and who has warned that Kiribati may disappear beneath the seas altogether, Harry Tong has stated that the ocean will never rise to a critical level in Kiribati, citing his religious beliefs: "God promised Noah there would not be another flood after the last one".
As of June 2009, Tong was the leader of the National Progressive Party. He was a "key Opposition MP" in the Ninth Parliament."Kiribati" New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs He was resigned from parliament in January 2010 to resume his medical career.