The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the head of government of Tonga. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state.[2] The current prime minister is Siaosi Sovaleni, who was elected on 15 December 2021 and appointed on 27 December 2021.[3] Sovaleni was elected with 16 votes.[4][5][6]
| Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga | |
|---|---|
| Palemia ʻo Tonga (Tongan) | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Status | Head of government |
| Abbreviation | PM |
| Member of | |
| Seat | Nuku’alofa |
| Appointer | King of Tonga |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Tonga |
| Inaugural holder | Tēvita ʻUnga (Premier) Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Prime Minister) |
| Formation | 1876 (Premier) 1970 (Prime Minister) |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga |
| Salary | T$ 94,500/US$ 40,212 annually[1] |
| Website | https://pmo.gov.to/ |
The office of prime minister was established by the Constitution of 1875, whose article 51 stipulates that the prime minister and other ministers are appointed and dismissed by the king.[7]
The prime minister is assisted by the deputy prime minister.
2000s democratization
editDuring the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV appointed Feleti Sevele, a moderate member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, as prime minister. Sevele was the first commoner to hold this post since Shirley Waldemar Baker in 1881. All the prime ministers since Baker had been members of the nobility, or even the royal family.[8]
In July 2008, King George Tupou V announced more substantial democratic reforms. He would abandon the essential part of his executive powers, and would henceforth follow the custom of monarchies such as the United Kingdom, exercising his prerogatives only with the prime minister's advice. In addition, he would no longer appoint the prime minister anyone he wished, but would appoint a member of the Legislative Assembly to be elected by the Legislative Assembly.[9][10][11]
List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga
edit| No. | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) |
Term of office | Party | Monarch (Reign) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Duration | ||||||
| 1 |  |
Crown Prince Tēvita ʻUnga (1824 – 1879) |
1 January 1876 | 18 December 1879 | 3 years, 11 months | Independent | George Tupou I.jpg) r. 1845–1893
| |
| Vacant (18 December 1879 – April 1881) | ||||||||
| 2 |  |
Rev. Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836 – 1903) |
April 1881 | July 1890 | 9 years, 3 months | Independent | ||
| 3 |  |
Siaosi Tukuʻaho (1854 – 1897) |
July 1890 | 1893 | 2–3 years | Independent | ||
| 4 |  |
Siosateki Veikune (1853 – 1913) |
1893 | January 1905 | 11–12 years | Independent | George Tupou II.jpg) r. 1893–1918
| |
| 5 |  |
Siaosi Tuʻi Pelehake (1842 – 1912) |
January 1905 | January 1905 | 0 months | Independent | ||
| 6 |  |
Sione Tupou Mateialona (1852 – 1925) |
January 1905 | 30 September 1912 | 7 years, 7 months | Independent | ||
| 7 |  |
Tevita Tuʻivakano (1869 – 1923) |
30 September 1912 | 30 June 1923 | 10 years, 304 days | Independent | ||
Sālote Tupou III.jpg) r. 1918–1965
| ||||||||
| 8 |  |
Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE (1887 – 1941) |
30 June 1923 | 20 July 1941 | 18 years, 20 days | Independent | ||
| 9 | Solomone Ula Ata OBE (1883 – 1950) |
20 July 1941 | 12 December 1949 | 8 years, 145 days | Independent | |||
| 10 |  |
Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE (1918 – 2006) [a] |
12 December 1949 | 16 December 1965 | 16 years, 4 days | Independent | ||
| 11 | .png) |
Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE (1922 – 1999) |
16 December 1965 | 22 August 1991 | 25 years, 249 days | Independent | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV r. 1965–2006
| |
| 12 |  |
Baron Siaosi Vaea (1921 – 2009) |
22 August 1991 | 3 January 2000 | 8 years, 134 days | Independent | ||
| 13 |  |
Prince ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata (born 1959) [b] |
3 January 2000 | 11 February 2006 | 6 years, 39 days | Independent | ||
| 14 |  |
Feleti Sevele (born 1944) |
30 March 2006 | 22 December 2010 | 4 years, 314 days | Human Rights and Democracy Movement | ||
George Tupou V.jpg) r. 2006–2012
| ||||||||
| 15 |  |
Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 1952) |
22 December 2010 | 30 December 2014 | 4 years, 8 days | Independent | ||
Tupou VI r. 2012–present
| ||||||||
| 16 |  |
ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (1941 – 2019) |
30 December 2014 | 12 September 2019 | 4 years, 256 days | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | ||
| — |  |
Semisi Sika (born 1968) Acting Prime Minister |
12 September 2019 | 8 October 2019 | 26 days | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | ||
| 17 | .jpg) |
Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (1951 – 2023) |
8 October 2019 | 27 December 2021 | 2 years, 80 days | Tonga People's Party | ||
| 18 | |
Siaosi Sovaleni (born 1970) |
27 December 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 220 days | Independent | ||
Timeline
edit
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "New Public Service Remuneration Structure Approved by the Government of Tonga". www.mic.gov.to.
- ^ "The Executive government ", Tonga government
- ^ "King Tupou VI appoints new Prime Minister". Matangi Tonga. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Emotional, Siaosi Sovaleni elected PM Designate". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "MPs choose Siaosi Sovaleni as new prime minister". Kaniva Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "Two nominees for PM Designate revealed, meeting underway". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Constitution of Tonga Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Tonga gets first elected leader", BBC, 13 February 2006
- ^ "Tonga's king to cede key powers", BBC, 29 July 2008
- ^ "Tongan king promises 'more democracy' for Pacific island", The Guardian, 29 July 2008
- ^ "King of Tonga prepares to give up power", The Telegraph, 11 July 2010