Semisi Kioa Lafu Sika (born 31 January 1968) is a

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

n politician, businessman, and Member of the

Tongan Parliament 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 sing ...

from 2010 to 2021. He served as acting

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

in September 2019, following the death of

ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Samiuela ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (7 April 1941 – 12 September 2019) was a Tongan pro-democracy activist and politician. Pohiva, the leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), served as the Prime Minister of Tonga from 2014 to h ...

. He is currently leader of the

Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands ( to, Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa) is a political party in Tonga. The party's leader at its foundation was 'Akilisi Pohiva. The party was launched in September 2010, and included ...

Career and activism

Sika is from

Haveluloto Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...

, and was educated at

Brigham Young University–Hawaii Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU–Hawaii) is a private university in Laie, Hawaii. It is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). BYU-Hawaii was founded in 1955, and became a satellite campus of ...

, gaining a Bachelor of Science. Before entering politics he worked as a teacher and travel agent, and ran a takeaway shop and catering firm. He is a longstanding supporter of the democratic movement in Tonga. In 2007 he was one of three people, including

Human Rights and Democracy Movement The Human Rights and Democracy Movement (HRDM) is a political party in Tonga. Its leader is Uliti Uata. The HRDM was founded in the late 1970s as an informal group of Tongans interested in democratic reform. It was formalised in 1992 as the P ...

leader

, who were prosecuted for their leadership of a protest march in June 2006. He was found not guilty and discharged.

Political career

A member of the

, Sika was elected to Parliament in the seat of

Tongatapu 2 Tongatapu 2 is an electoral constituency for the Legislative Assembly in the Kingdom of Tonga. It was established for the November 2010 general election, when the multi-seat regional constituencies for People's Representatives were replaced b ...

in the

2010 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2010. {{TOC right * National electoral calendar 2010 * Local electoral calendar 2010 * 2010 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 2010 Burkinabé presidential election * 2010 Burundian Sen ...

. He was re-elected in the

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

and became Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House. In April 2016 he was appointed Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure. Following the

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

election Sika was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. in July 2019 there were calls for his resignation after he intervened to silence a speech against bullying and sexism at the Miss Pacific pageant in Tonga. He became acting premier following the death of Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva on 12 September 2019. He contested the Premiership, but was defeated by

Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa (30 June 1951 – 18 March 2023) was a Tongan accountant and politician who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Tonga from 2019 to 2021. Tu'i'onetoa succeeded Semisi Sika, who had served as acting prime minister, since ...

by eight votes to fifteen. Sika continues to lead the DPFI. In December 2020 he submitted a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa. 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

, - , - , - , - , - 1968 births Living people Prime Ministers of Tonga Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands politicians Tongan businesspeople People from Tongatapu Brigham Young University–Hawaii alumni {{Tonga-politician-stub