General elections were held in Tuvalu on 26 March 1998.[1]
All candidates for the 12 seats ran as independents. With no formal political parties, the political system was based on personal alliances and loyalties derived from clan and family connections.[2]
Seven of the incumbents retained their seats. Following the election Bikenibeu Paeniu was re-elected Prime Minister.[3]
Background
On 18 December 1997 parliament was dissolved. During the election campaign, candidates from the incumbent government and the opposition traded allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
Paeniu was re-elected Prime Minister on 8 April, defeating Koloa Talake by a vote of 10–2.[3][5] He subsequently announced the formation of a cabinet consisting of Ionatana Ionatana as Minister for Health, Women and Community Affairs and Minister for Education and Culture, Alesana Kleis Seluka as Minister for Tourism, Trade and Commerce and Minister Finance and Economic Planning, Otinielu Tausi as Minister of Works, Energy and Communications and Kokea Malua as Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment, Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development and deputy prime minister.[5]Tomu Sione was appointed as Speaker.
Paeniu later resigned following a motion of no confidence on 27 April 1999. Ionatana was subsequently elected prime minister on 27 April.[6] He died on 8 December 2000.[7]Lagitupu Tuilimu was acting prime minister from 8 December 2000 to 24 February 2001,[8] with Faimalaga Luka becoming prime minister on 23 February 2001.[6] Luka's government lasted until December the same year, when he lost office as the consequence of another motion of no confidence.[6] On 13 December the former Minister of FinanceKoloa Talake was appointed prime minister.[6][9]
References
^Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p829 ISBN0-19-924959-8
^Hassall, Graham (2006). "The Tuvalu General Election 2006". Democracy and Elections project, Governance Program, University of the South Pacific. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
^ ab"Paeniu Re-Elected Tuvalu Prime Minister". Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i at Manoa /PACNEWS/tuvaluislands.com. 8 April 1998. Archived from the original on January 27, 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ abcdLansford, Tom (2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. CQ Press.
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