Prime Minister of Tonga

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Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Tonga
Palemia ?o Tonga   ( Tongan )
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Tonga
Flag of Tonga
Incumbent
Siaosi Sovaleni
since 27 December 2021
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 T?vita ?Unga (Premier)
Fatafehi Tu?ipelehake (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/
Politics of Tonga
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Prime Minister’s Office in Nuku’alofa

The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier ) is the country's head of government . 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]

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 [ edit ]

During the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King T?ufa??hau 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 (1876?present) [ edit ]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party Monarch
1
Tēvita ʻUnga
Unga, T?vita Crown Prince
T?vita ?Unga
( c. 1824?1879) 		1 January 1876 18 December 1879 † 3 years, 351 days Independent George Tupou I
Vacant (18 December 1879 ? April 1881)
2
Shirley Waldemar Baker
Baker, Shirley Waldemar Rev.
Shirley Waldemar Baker
(1836?1903) 		April 1881 July 1890 9 years, 3 months Independent George Tupou I
3
Siaosi Tukuʻaho
Tuku?aho, Siaosi Siaosi Tuku?aho
(1854?1897) 		July 1890 1893 2?3 years Independent George Tupou I
4
Siosateki Veikune
Veikune, Siosateki Siosateki Veikune
(1853?1913) 		1893 January 1905 11?12 years Independent George Tupou II
5
Siaosi Tuʻi Pelehake
Pelehake, Siaosi Tu?i Siaosi Tu?i Pelehake
(1842?1912) 		January 1905 January 1905 0 months Independent George Tupou II
6
Sione Tupou Mateialona
Mateialona, Sione Tupou Sione Tupou Mateialona
(1852?1925) 		January 1905 30 September 1912 7 years, 7 months Independent George Tupou II
7
Tevita Tuʻivakano
Tu?ivakano, Tevita Tevita Tu?ivakano
(1869?1923) 		30 September 1912 30 June 1923 10 years, 304 days Independent George Tupou II
S?lote Tupou III
8
Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE
Mailefihi, Viliami Tung? Prince
Viliami Tung? Mailefihi CBE
(1887?1941) 		30 June 1923 20 July 1941 18 years, 20 days Independent S?lote Tupou III
9
Solomone Ula Ata OBE
Ata, Solomone Ula Solomone Ula Ata OBE
(1883?1950) 		20 July 1941 12 December 1949 8 years, 145 days Independent S?lote Tupou III
10
Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE
Tungi, Tupouto'a Crown Prince
Tupouto?a Tung? KBE
(1918?2006)
[a] 		12 December 1949 16 December 1965 16 years, 4 days Independent S?lote Tupou III
11
Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE
Tu?ipelehake, Fatafehi Prince
Fatafehi Tu?ipelehake CBE
(1922?1999) 		16 December 1965 22 August 1991 25 years, 249 days Independent T?ufa??hau Tupou IV
12
Baron Vaea
Tupou, Siaosi Baron Vaea
(1921?2009) 		22 August 1991 3 January 2000 8 years, 134 days Independent T?ufa??hau Tupou IV
13
ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho
Tuku?aho, Aho?eitu Prince
?Aho?eitu ?Unuaki?otonga Tuku?aho
(born 1959)
[b] 		3 January 2000 11 February 2006 6 years, 39 days Independent T?ufa??hau Tupou IV
14
Lord Sevele of Vailahi
Sevele, Feleti Lord Sevele of Vailahi
(born 1944) 		30 March 2006 22 December 2010 4 years, 314 days HRDM T?ufa??hau Tupou IV
George Tupou V
15
Lord Tuʻivakanō
Tu?ivakan?, Siale?ataongo Lord Tu?ivakan?
(born 1952) 		22 December 2010 30 December 2014 4 years, 8 days Independent George Tupou V
Tupou VI
16
ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
P?hiva, Akilisi ?Akilisi P?hiva
(1941?2019) 		30 December 2014 12 September 2019 † 4 years, 256 days DPFI Tupou VI
?
Semisi Sika
Sika, Semisi Semisi Sika
(born 1968)
Acting 		12 September 2019 8 October 2019 26 days DPFI Tupou VI
17
Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Tuionetoa, Pohiva P?hiva Tu?i?onetoa
(1951?2023) 		8 October 2019 27 December 2021 2 years, 80 days TPPI Tupou VI
18
Siaosi Sovaleni
Sovaleni, Siaosi Siaosi Sovaleni
(born 1970) 		27 December 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 148 days Independent Tupou VI

Timeline [ edit ]

Siaosi SovaleniPōhiva TuʻiʻonetoaSemisi SikaʻAkilisi PōhivaSialeʻataongo TuʻivakanōFeleti SeveleTupou VIBaron VaeaFatafehi TuʻipelehakeTāufaʻāhau Tupou IVSolomone Ula AtaViliami Tungī MailefihiTevita TuʻivakanoSione Tupou MateialonaSiaosi Tuʻi PelehakeSiosateki VeikuneSiaosi TukuʻahoShirley Waldemar BakerTēvita ʻUnga

See also [ edit ]

Notes [ edit ]

  1. ^ Later King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.
  2. ^ Later King Tupou VI.

References [ edit ]

  1. ^ "New Public Service Remuneration Structure Approved by the Government of Tonga" . www.mic.gov.to .
  2. ^ "The Executive government " , Tonga government
  3. ^ "King Tupou VI appoints new Prime Minister" . Matangi Tonga. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021 . Retrieved 28 December 2021 .
  4. ^ "Emotional, Siaosi Sovaleni elected PM Designate" . Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021 . Retrieved 15 December 2021 .
  5. ^ "MPs choose Siaosi Sovaleni as new prime minister" . Kaniva Tonga. 15 December 2021 . Retrieved 15 December 2021 .
  6. ^ "Two nominees for PM Designate revealed, meeting underway" . Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021 . Retrieved 15 December 2021 .
  7. ^ Constitution of Tonga Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Tonga gets first elected leader" , BBC, 13 February 2006
  9. ^ "Tonga's king to cede key powers" , BBC, 29 July 2008
  10. ^ "Tongan king promises 'more democracy' for Pacific island" , The Guardian , 29 July 2008
  11. ^ "King of Tonga prepares to give up power" , The Telegraph , 11 July 2010

External links [ edit ]

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