CoveragePost
November 1, 2025
By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist With just three weeks to go before Tongans head to the polls, the debate over election issues is heating up. Under the spotlight are the role of the palace in the country’s democratic process and calls for voting rights for overseas-based Tongans. The state of the economy and ... <a title="Tonga election: What are the main issues ahead of the upcoming polls?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/11/01/tonga-election-what-are-the-main-issues-ahead-of-the-upcoming-polls/" aria-label="Read more about Tonga election: What are the main issues ahead of the upcoming polls?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 11, 2024
COMMENTARY: By Lopeti Senituli in Nuku’alofa In a highly anticipated session of the Tongan Parliament to debate and vote on the second vote of no confidence (VONC) scheduled for last Monday, December 9, in Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku and the Cabinet, Hu’akavameiliku surprised everyone by announcing his resignation — even before the actual debate ... <a title="Tonga’s PM Hu’akavameiliku throws in the towel – behind the timeline" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/11/tongas-pm-huakavameiliku-throws-in-the-towel-behind-the-timeline/" aria-label="Read more about Tonga’s PM Hu’akavameiliku throws in the towel – behind the timeline">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 10, 2024
RNZ Pacific Parliamentarians in Tonga will meet on Christmas Eve to select the kingdom’s new prime minister, Speaker of the House Lord Fakafanua has confirmed. He told RNZ Pacific that Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni’s resignation on Monday ahead of a second motion of no confidence was unprecedented. However, he said the Tongan constitution was clear on ... <a title="Tonga’s Speaker confirms new PM to be chosen on Christmas Eve" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/10/tongas-speaker-confirms-new-pm-to-be-chosen-on-christmas-eve/" aria-label="Read more about Tonga’s Speaker confirms new PM to be chosen on Christmas Eve">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 9, 2024
RNZ Pacific Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has resigned, the Tongan Parliament Office has confirmed. Hu’akavameiliku resigned in Parliament today, ahead of the no confidence motion. “At the opening of today’s [Monday] session a teary-eyed Prime Minister asked the Lord Speaker if he could say a few words, before the Motion was tabled. He ... <a title="‘Teary-eyed’ Tongan PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/09/teary-eyed-tongan-pm-resigns-ahead-of-no-confidence-vote/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Teary-eyed’ Tongan PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 25, 2024
By Kalino Latu, editor of Kaniva Tonga Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku has resigned as Minister of Defence in order to appease King upou VI, says a senior government official. The Tongan Independent reports that the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister ‘Utoikamanu had resigned from their portfolios. Senior sources within the Tongan government ... <a title="Tongan PM resigns as defence minister to ‘appease’ king over throne tension" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/25/tongan-pm-resigns-as-defence-minister-to-appease-king-over-throne-tension/" aria-label="Read more about Tongan PM resigns as defence minister to ‘appease’ king over throne tension">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 9, 2024
Tonga has been locked in a political standoff between the country’s King Tupou VI and Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku which erupted into a heated row in Parliament this week with two MPs being suspended. Here Kaniva News editor Kalino Latu gives his recent reaction to an ultimatum by the Tongan nobles. EDITORIAL: By Kalino ... <a title="Kaniva News: Nobles’ letter demanding PM resign over royal memo takes Tonga back to dark ages" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/09/kaniva-news-nobles-letter-demanding-pm-resign-over-royal-memo-takes-tonga-back-to-dark-ages/" aria-label="Read more about Kaniva News: Nobles’ letter demanding PM resign over royal memo takes Tonga back to dark ages">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 6, 2023
By Kālino Lātū, editor of Kaniva News Dr Sitiveni Halapua, former deputy leader of Tonga’s Democratic Movement, has died aged 74. Born on February 13, 1949, he was a respected academic, a pioneer of Tonga’s democratic reforms and pioneer of a conflict resolution system based on traditional practices. Halapua earned a doctorate in economics from ... <a title="Tongan politician, democracy reformer and scholar Dr Sitiveni Halapua dies" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/06/tongan-politician-democracy-reformer-and-scholar-dr-sitiveni-halapua-dies/" aria-label="Read more about Tongan politician, democracy reformer and scholar Dr Sitiveni Halapua dies">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2021
Kaniva News Tonga’s Parliament has elected a new prime minister to replace Dr Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa. Siaosi Sovaleni, 51, the current Minister of Education, has won convincingly with 16 votes, against former Minister of Finance and MP Dr ‘Aisake Eke, who got 10 votes. The Interim Speaker, Lord Tangi, announced the results this afternoon after he ... <a title="Education minister Sovaleni elected as Tonga’s new prime minister" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/16/education-minister-sovaleni-elected-as-tongas-new-prime-minister/" aria-label="Read more about Education minister Sovaleni elected as Tonga’s new prime minister">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 21, 2018
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CoveragePost
May 4, 2018
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