Monise Laafai is a
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
an politician and businessman.
He stood for
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for the first time at the
2010 general election, and was elected MP for the constituency of
Nanumaga
Nanumanga or Nanumaga is a reef island and a district of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. It has a surface area of about 3 km2 with a population of 391 (2022 census).
History
On 9 May 1824 a French government expedition under Captain ...
.
He supported
Maatia Toafa
Maatia Toafa (1 May 1954–13 November 2024) was a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea, who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as prime minister, and foreign minister, from 2004 to 2006, from th ...
's successful bid for the premiership, and was subsequently appointed to
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
, as
Minister of Finance
A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position .
A ministry of finance's portfolio ...
.
He lost office just three months later, when Toafa's government was brought down by a
motion 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 ...
.
Laafai is also General Manager of the Tuvalu Co-operative Society, a position he has held since the late 1990s. He was also
chef de mission
In diplomatic usage, head of mission (HOM) or chief of mission (COM) from the French "chef de mission diplomatique" (CMD) is the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an ambassador, high commissioner, nuncio, chargé d'affaires, permanen ...
of the Tuvaluan delegation to the
2007 Pacific Games
The 13th South Pacific Games (), also known as Apia 2007, were held from 25 August to 8 September 2007 in Apia, Samoa. The Games were the thirteenth to be held since the inception of the South Pacific Games in 1963, and included traditional mult ...
in
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
.
"Tuvalu flag raised"
Tuvalu News, 25 August 2007
On 5 August 2013 Monise Laafai was appointed Minister for Communications and Transport;Sopoaga Ministry
The Sopoaga Ministry was the 14th Ministry (collective executive), ministry of the Government of Tuvalu, led by Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. It succeeds the Telavi Ministry upon its swearing in by Governor-General of Tu ...
.
He was re-elected in the 2019 general election;2024 Tuvaluan general election
General elections were held in Tuvalu on 26 January 2024. There are no political parties in Tuvalu and all candidates run as independents.
Two major issues in the election were the Falepili Union treaty, which requiries both Tuvalu and Aust ...
.
References
Ministers of finance of Tuvalu
Members of the Parliament of Tuvalu
People from Nanumanga
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century Tuvaluan people
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