Legislative Assembly of Tonga

Legislative Assembly of Tonga

Fale Alea ʻo Tonga
Legislative Assembly of Tonga ; Fale Alea ʻo Tonga
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	16 September 1875
Leadership
Speaker	Fatafehi Fakafanua ; since December 2017
Structure
Seats	25 members
Political groups	Government (15) DPFI (3); Independents (8); Nobles' (4); Opposition (10) TPPI (1); Independents (4); Nobles' (5); Vacant (1) Vacant (1);
Elections
Voting system	Single non-transferable vote
Last election	18 November 2021
Next election	On or before November 2025
Meeting place
	Parliament House, Nukuʻalofa
Website
	parliament.gov.to

The Legislative Assembly of Tonga (Tongan: Fale Alea ʻo Tonga) is the unicameral legislature of Tonga.

History

A Legislative Assembly providing for representation of nobles and commoners was established in 1862 by King George Tupou I.^[2] This body met every four years and was continued in the 1875 Constitution.

Originally the Legislative Assembly consisted of all holders of noble titles, an equal number of people's representatives, the governors for Haʻapai and Vavaʻu, and at least four Cabinet Ministers chosen by the monarch.^[3] An increase in the number of nobles from twenty to thirty saw the Assembly grow to 70 members.^[4] Amendments in 1914 saw a reduction in the size of the Assembly and annual sittings. The principle of equal representation of nobles and commoners was retained.^[5]

In April 2010 the Legislative Assembly enacted a package of political reforms, increasing the number of people's representatives from nine to seventeen,^[6] with ten seats for Tongatapu, three for Vavaʻu, two for Haʻapai and one each for Niuas and ʻEua.^[7]

The 100-year-old Tongan Parliament House was destroyed by Cyclone Gita, a Category 4 tropical cyclone that passed through the nation on 12 and 13 February 2018.^[8] Parliament subsequently moved to the Tongan National Centre complex in Tofoa. In November 2021 the Tongan government announced that a new parliament building would be constructed on Nukuʻalofa's waterfront.^[9]

Electoral system

The assembly has 26 members in which 17 members are elected by the people for 5-year term in single-seat constituencies via the single non-transferable vote system. There are 9 members elected by the 33 hereditary nobles of Tonga.

Speaker of the Assembly

The Legislative Assembly is presided over by a Speaker, who is elected by majority of the elected members of Parliament at the first meeting after the general election and constitutionally appointed by the king.^[10] Prior to 2010, the Speaker was appointed by the monarch.^[11]

A complete list of the Speakers is below:^[12]

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Hon. Viliami Tungī [to]	1875	1896
Hon. Siaosi Tukuʻaho	1897	1897
Hon. Siaosi Tuʻipelehake	1897	1912
Hon. Finau ʻUlukalala	1912	1938
Hon. Iosaiasi Veikune [to]	1939	1940	1st term
Hon. Tuʻivakanō [to]	1941	1941	1st term
Hon. Nuku [to]	1942	1944
Hon. Iosaiasi Veikune	1945	1945	2nd term
Hon. Tuʻivakanō	1946	1948	2nd term
Hon. Iosaiasi Veikune	1949	1949	3rd term
Hon. Tuʻivakanō	1950	1950	3rd term
Hon. Kalaniuvalu	1951	1958
Hon. Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi [to]	1959	1984
Hon. Kalaniuvalu Fotofili [to]	1985	1986
Hon. Malupo	1987	1989
Lord Fusituʻa	1990	1998	^[13]
Lord Veikune	April 1999	2001	1st term
Lord Tuʻivakanō	1 July 2002	2004	1st term
Lord Veikune	22 March 2005	January 2006	2nd term
Lord Tuʻihaʻangana	10 February 2006	April 2008	^[14]
Hon. Tuʻilakepa	2 May 2008	2010
Lord Tupou (interim)	3 December 2010	21 December 2010	^[15]
Hon. Lasike	21 December 2010	18 July 2012
Lord Fakafanua	19 July 2012	29 December 2014	1st term
Lord Tuʻivakanō	January 2015	December 2017	2nd term
Lord Fakafanua	December 2017		2nd term^[16]

Terms of the Tongan Legislative Assembly

Until 2010, the government was appointed by the monarch without reference to Parliament, and there were no political parties. The last term under the old system was the 2008 Tongan Legislative Assembly. Political reform in 2010 saw the Prime Minister elected by Parliament from among its members, leading to responsible government.

Term	Elected in	Government
2010 Parliament	2010 election	Independent
2014 Parliament	2014 election	No overall majority
2017 Parliament	2017 election	DPFI
2021 Parliament	2021 election	Independent

Officers

Clerk (Kalake Pule Fale Alea ʻo Tonga)

Sione Tekiteki (2011–2012)
Gloria Poleʻo (2012–present)

References

^ "History". Parliament of Tonga. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
^ David Stanley (1999). Tonga-Samoa Handbook. David Stanley. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-56691-174-0.
^ Ian Campbell (2005). "The Quest for Constitutional Reform in Tonga". Journal of Pacific History. 40 (1): 91–104. doi:10.1080/00223340500082400. S2CID 22501018.
^ Campbell (2005), p. 93.
^ Sione Latukefu. "History of our Constitution". Government of Tonga. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^ "Tonga Parliament enacts political reforms". Radio New Zealand International. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
^ "Tonga parliament votes on amended boundaries". Radio New Zealand International. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
^ "Tonga parliament building flattened by Cyclone Gita". BBC News. 13 February 2018.
^ "Tonga's new multi-million Parliament Building to be built on seafront". Matangi Tonga. 14 November 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
^ "FAQs".
^ Constitution of Tonga Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, s. 61
^ "List of Speakers of the Tongan Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 14 August 2020.
^ ""Late Lord Fusitu'a achieved four levels of God's goodness" – Dr. Tevita Havea says". www.parliament.gov.to.
^ "Tonga: ELECTIONS IN 2005". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
^ "IPU PARLINE database: TONGA (Fale Alea), ELECTIONS IN 2010".
^ "Tongan Parliament elects Pōhiva as PM for next four years | Asia Pacific Report". 19 December 2017.

External links

Official website

[1] "History". Parliament of Tonga. Retrieved 18 August 2022.

[2] David Stanley (1999). Tonga-Samoa Handbook. David Stanley. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-56691-174-0.

[campbell-3] Ian Campbell (2005). "The Quest for Constitutional Reform in Tonga". Journal of Pacific History. 40 (1): 91–104. doi:10.1080/00223340500082400. S2CID 22501018.

[4] Campbell (2005), p. 93.

[5] Sione Latukefu. "History of our Constitution". Government of Tonga. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.

[6] "Tonga Parliament enacts political reforms". Radio New Zealand International. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.

[7] "Tonga parliament votes on amended boundaries". Radio New Zealand International. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.

[8] "Tonga parliament building flattened by Cyclone Gita". BBC News. 13 February 2018.

[9] "Tonga's new multi-million Parliament Building to be built on seafront". Matangi Tonga. 14 November 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.

[10] "FAQs".

[11] Constitution of Tonga Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, s. 61

[12] "List of Speakers of the Tongan Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 14 August 2020.

[13] ""Late Lord Fusitu'a achieved four levels of God's goodness" – Dr. Tevita Havea says". www.parliament.gov.to.

[14] "Tonga: ELECTIONS IN 2005". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 18 August 2022.

[15] "IPU PARLINE database: TONGA (Fale Alea), ELECTIONS IN 2010".

[16] "Tongan Parliament elects Pōhiva as PM for next four years | Asia Pacific Report". 19 December 2017.

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