Two new noble representatives have been elected in Tonga, according to results announced today in Nuku’alofa.

Lord Dalgety, chairman of the Tonga Electoral Commission, announced the results of the nobles election at the Palace Office in the Tongan capital shortly after midday.

The two newly elected nobles are Lord Veéhala in Eua, who secured 20 votes, and Lord Ma’afu in Tongatapu, who received 12 votes.

Lord Veéhala, a senior military officer with His Majesty’s Armed Forces, replaces Lord Nuku, who was eliminated from the election on Wednesday due to ongoing court cases.

Lord Ma’afu continues the tradition of his family being represented in parliament, with his late dad, the previous Lord Ma’afu, having been a nobles representative over a number of years.

Voting continues for the general public to elect 17 people’s representatives, who will join their nine nobles counterparts in the Legislative Assembly.

Speaking after the result was announced, the re-elected nobles’ representative for Ha’apai, Lord Fakafanua played down reports he had his eye on becoming the next prime minister of Tonga.

‘Always rumours’
“That didn’t come up, and you know, leading up to a general election there are always rumours coming around,” he said.

However, he did not rule it out completely.

“Everything is a bit premature right now because it is up to the 26 members, so once we know who is in there then it will be something that we will look forward to,” he said.

“There are many possibilities. There is still some time now before we have to go through that process.”

Election results for Tonga’s Nobles Representatives

Va’vau (2 representatives)

• Incumbent Lord Tuiafitu 5 votes (re-elected)
• Incumbent Lord Tuilakepa 5 votes (re-elected)
• Lord Luani 3 votes
• Lord Fulivai 1 vote

Ha’apai (2 reps)

• Incumbent Lord Fakafanua 6 votes (re-elected)
• Incumbent Lord Tuihaangana 6 votes(re-elected)
• Lord Tuihaateiho 2 votes

Eua – (1 rep)

• Lord Lasike 1 vote
• Lord Veéhala 20 votes (newly elected)

Tongatapu – (3 reps)

• Lord Lasike 6 votes
• Lord Ma’afu 12 votes (newly elected)
• Lord Tu’ivakano 8 votes (elected)
• Lord Vaea 10 votes (elected)

Ongo Niua (1 rep)

• Lord Fotofili (won unopposed)

Polls have closed in Tonga for the 2025 general election.

The preliminary results are expected to be available tonight.

The return of the writs of election to the King is scheduled for December 4.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

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 first informed King Tupou VI about the winner.

The results showed what appeared to be the nobility MPs’ votes being split with apparently four of them supporting Sovaleni while the remaining five voted for Dr Eke.

Sovaleni, who was a minister in good standing in the Tu’i’onetoa government, recently crossed the floor to form his new bloc and gain the support from a united group of independent MPs and PTOA Party MPs.

Three other MPs who were part of Tu’i’onetoa’s PAK party, also crossed the floor and joined Sovaleni.

The only People’s MP and interim cabinet minister who supported Dr Tu’i’onetoa was the Niua MP Vātau Hui.

The defection of the four members meant Dr Tu’i’onetoa was forced to withdraw his candidacy for the premiership election because he did not have the number of MPs required by law to support and nominate him as a candidate.

As Kaniva News reported this week, Dr Tu’i’onetoa complained about being dumped by his own interim cabinet ministers, saying he just found out after the general elections on November 18 that his unity with his interim ministers in the past four months had been “fake”.

Education, health and climate among priorities
In his speech before the election today, Sovaleni said people, the chiefs and the king lived under what he described as one house. He said people had to learn to know how to live together.

He said education, health, economic developments, e-government, climate change, war on illicit drugs, natural disasters, youths and women initiatives and good governance were some of his priorities.

In his vote of thanks after he was declared the winner this afternoon, Sovaleni was emotional and congratulated his supporters and all MPs.

He also thanked his unsuccessful rival candidate Dr Eke and said they had previously worked together in the Ministry of Finance.

Republished with permission as part of a collaboration between Kaniva News and Asia Pacific Report.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Tonga’s PTOA Party (Democrats) lost both their rival leaders and majority votes in some strongholds with defeats to seven independent candidates among People’s Representatives in yesterday’s elections.

The PTOA Party was split in the lead up to the elections with the creation of two rival groups — the PTOA People’s Board led by Siaosi Pōhiva and PTOA Core Team led by Sēmisi Sika.

Last night they faced the reality that they had dug their own grave.

The voters have elected nine new People’s MPs and three new nobles to the all-male Parliament, according to provisional results announced by the Supervisor of Elections Pita Vuki.

PTOA top senior members, including Mateni Tapueluelu, PTOA People’s Board leader Pōhiva and Core Team leader Sika were all defeated.

People’s Board leader Siaosi was defeated by Tongatapu 1 new MP Tēvita Puloka.

Core Team leader Sēmisi Sika lost his Tongatapu 2 seat to Dr Pingi Fasi.

Tapueluelu loses seat
PTOA senior MP Māteni Tapueluelu lost his seat to incumbent Minister of Economy Tafafu Moeaki.

Tapueluelu and his PTOA rival candidate ‘Ilaiasi Lelei ‘Ufi received a combination result of 1457 votes from the PTOA voters, but because they shared that number it opened an opportunity for Moeaki to defeat them.

In Tongatapu 5, the PTOA voters gave a total of 1104 votes to the PTOA candidates, with 614 votes going to Losaline Ma’asi while her PTOA rival ‘Akanete Ta’ai got 490 votes. Dr ‘Aisake Eke won the seat by 958 votes.

In Tongatapu 7, the PTOA voters gave their candidates Sangstaer Saulala and Paula Piveni Piukala a total of 1420 votes. Sangstar won by 810 votes.

In Tongatapu 10, the PTOA rival candidates gained a total votes of 1554 while Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa received only 1303 votes.

However, Tu’i’onetoa won after the two PTOA rivals split their votes with Kapeli Lanumata receiving 1086 votes with Vika Kaufusi gaining only 468 votes.

Provisional election results:
People’s Representatives:
Tongatapu:
Tt1: Tevita Puloka (1695 votes)
Tt2: Dr Ping Fasi (962)
Tt3: Siaosi Sovaleni (2084)
Tt4: Tatafu Moeaki (1237)
Tt5: Dr ‘Aisake Eke (968)
Tt6: Poasi Tei (1771)
Tt7: Sangstar Saulala (810)
Tt8: Semisi Fakahau (1020)
Tt9: Seventeen Toumoua (828)
Tt10: Pōhiva Tuionetoa (1303)
‘Eua:
Eua11: Dr Taniela Fusimalohi (1072)
Ha’apai:
Hp12: Viliami Hingano (475)
Hp13: Veivosa Taka (731)
Vava’u:
Vv14: Saia Piukala (1010)
Vv15: Sāmiu Vaipulu (747)
Vv16: Dr Viliami Latu (1047)
Niuas:
Niua17 Vatau Hui 367 votes

Nobility election:
Tongatapu:
Lord Vaea (13 votes)
Lord Tu’ivakano (12)
Lord Fohe (10)
Vava’u:
Lord Tu’i’afitu (9)
Lord Tu’ilakepa (8)
Ha’apai:
Lord Tui’ha’angana (5)
Lord Fakafanua (4)
‘Eua:
Lord Nuku (11)
Niuas:
HSH Prince Kalaniuvalu, the Lord Fotofili (2)

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Tonga has new noble MPs and at least one returning MP among the people’s representatives, according to preliminary election results.

The polls have closed in the kingdom and counting is underway. However, results for the kingdom’s nobles was announced this afternoon by the Supervisor of Elections, Pita Vuki.

About 60,000 Tongan voters have been taking part in election.

They will be electing 17 People’s Representatives for the 26-member legislature.

The 33 noble families elected their nine representatives from within their own ranks.

Results for the nobles was announced this afternoon by the Supervisor of Elections, Pita Vuki.

For Tongatapu, the noble MPs are Lord Vaea, who makes a return to Parliament after being voted out in 2014, Lord Tu’ivakanō, who was prime minister in the first government after the reform and Lord Fohe who is a first time MP.

Vava’u seats retained
Vava’u has seen both noble MPs retain their seats Lord Tu’i’afitu and Lord Tu’ilakepa.

The same for Ha’apai, with Lord Fakafānua who was the speaker of the last Parliament, and Lord Tu’iha’angana both retaining their seats.

For ‘Eua, Lord Nuku is the elected noble representative and for the Niuas, the most northern islands, Prince Fotofili, who is himself a first time MP.

RNZ Pacific’s correspondent in Tonga, Kalafi Moala, said that having three new MPs among the nobles did not indicate much politically as two out of the three new seats were held by MPs that have been out of the country for medical reasons.

At the closing of the polls at 6pm local time, among the people’s representatives the only clear front runner was Siaosi Sovaleni, a possible candidate for the prime ministership who had registered an almost unassailable lead in Tongatapu 3.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Philip Cass

Former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano will be sentenced at the end of next month after being found guilty in the Supreme Court yesterday of three charges, including making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport and perjury.

The offences in what was known as the Chinese passport scandal were committed in 2015, but he was not charged until 2018.

Local media reported that the jury retired at 4pm and were back in just over half an hour.

READ MORE: Former PM denies bribery, firearms, perjury charges over Chinese passport scandal

RNZ reported earlier that six charges of bribery and money laundering in relation to the issuance of Tongan passports to Chinese nationals had been dropped.

As Kaniva News reported last week, it was originally alleged that between 2013-2014, while serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he accepted money to issue Tongan passports to various Chinese nationals.

The amounts involved were said to range from TP$3000 (NZ$2052) to TP$199,408.94 (NZ$136,460).

These allegations were withdrawn and not heard.

Firearm charge
Crown Prosecutor Semisi Lutui told the court, the Attorney-General had advised against proceeding with the charges.

The presiding judge, Lord Chief Justice Whitten, will sentence Lord Tu’ivikano on charges of three counts of making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport, perjury and possession of 212 pieces of ammunition without a licence.

Last week, the former Prime Minister pleaded guilty to possessing a .22 rifle without a licence.

The firearm and ammunition charges stemmed from a police search of his home  in Nuku’alofa on March 1, 2018.

Lord Tu’ivakano was  accused of making a false statement on the grounds that on July 17, 2015 he wrote a letter to the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that Hua Guo and Xing Lui were naturalised as Tongans on October 29, 2014.

On the charge of perjury, it was alleged that on December 21, 2015, he made an oath in an affidavit, stating that these two were naturalised during his tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry and that naturalisation Tongan passports were then issued to them, knowing this statement was false.

He was further charged with making a false statement, in that on July 17, 2015 with the purpose of obtaining a passport for Hua Guo and Xing Liu, and with intent to deceive the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the accused wrote a letter to the Immigration Division, stating that these two were naturalised as Tongans on October 29, 2014, and he had reasonable cause to believe that statement was misleading.

He was bailed on condition that he surrender his passport and not leave Tongatapu.

Lord Tu’ivakano is still a member of Parliament as a Noble’s Representative.

Philip Cass is associate editor of Pacific Journalism Review and a research associate of the Pacific Media Centre. This article is republished under a partnership agreement with Kaniva Tonga.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Kalino Latu, editor of Kaniva News

The king’s noble and former Prime Minister, Lord Tu’ivakanō has been charged with passport offences, money laundering and bribery.

Police arrested the former Speaker of Parliament yesterday.

“Lord Tu’ivakanō has been charged with numerous crimes, including making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport, perjury, acceptance of bribery and money laundering,” Police Commissioner Steve Caldwell said.

Kaniva News reported last year that Lord Tu’ivakanō and his wife, Joyce Robin Kaho, had been listed by the Tonga National Reserve bank as being allegedly involved in suspicious money transfers.

It followed with a claim by a former staff member at Parliament that Lord Tu’ivakanō used parliamentary staff to improperly transfer money overseas. The noble denied the claim.

“If that was illegal you know which place to take it up with. Anyone in the office of the Parliament is free to do the same thing,” Lord Tu’ivakanō said in response to the former staff.

Passports abuse
Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva told the House during a debate in 2013, while he was leader of Opposition and Lord Tu’ivakanō was Prime Minister, that he had information that Tongan blank passports were being abused.

He described the mishandling of the Tongan blank passports as a “net that was thrown outside the circle of the Tongan authorities”.

In 2014, Kaniva News revealed e-mails between staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which alleged Lord Tu’ivakanō ignored King Tupou VI’s warning not to issue any more diplomatic passports to Chinese national Sien Lee.

According to the e-mails, Sien Lee is a close friend of the Queen Mother.

At the time, the former Auditor-General, who is now Minister of Finance, Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa, told Kaniva News Tonga’s passport scandal was one of the two biggest he had come across in the previous three years.

This morning the Police Commissioner said although he was confined by what he could say publicly, he took the opportunity to thank and commend the Passport Taskforce for their methodical and professional investigation.

“As criminal charges are now before a Court of Law no further comments
will be made at this time. The Passport investigation continues.”

Asia Pacific Report republishes Kaniva News reports by arrangement.

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Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz