Prime Minister of Tonga

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga
Palemia ʻo Tonga (Tongan)
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Tonga
Flag of Tonga
Incumbent Samiu Vaipulu (Acting) since 9 December 2024
Style	The Honourable
Status	Head of government
Abbreviation	PM
Member of	Cabinet of Tonga Legislative Assembly of Tonga
Seat	Nuku’alofa
Appointer	King of Tonga
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Tonga
Inaugural holder	Tēvita ʻUnga (Premier) Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (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/

Prime Minister's office in Nukuʻalofa

The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the head of government of Tonga. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state.^[2] The most recent prime minister was 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] Siaosi Sovaleni resigned as prime minister on Monday 9 December 2024 ahead of a No confidence vote the same day.^[7] Aisake Eke was elected as prime minister on 24 December 2024, and is expected to assume office in February 2025.^[8]

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.^[9]

The prime minister is assisted by the deputy prime minister.

2000s democratization

During the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King Tāufaʻāhau 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.^[10]

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.^[11][12][13]

List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga

No.	Portrait	Name (Lifespan)	Term of office			Party		Cabinet	Monarch (Reign)
			Start	End	Duration
1		Crown Prince Tēvita ʻUnga (1824 – 1879)	1 January 1876	18 December 1879	3 years, 11 months		Independent	ʻUnga	George Tupou I r. 1845–1893
Vacant (18 December 1879 – April 1881)
2		Rev. Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836 – 1903)	April 1881	July 1890	9 years, 3 months		Independent	Baker
3		Siaosi Tukuʻaho (1854 – 1897)	July 1890	1893	2–3 years		Independent	Tukuʻaho
4		Siosateki Tonga (1853 – 1913)	1893	January 1905	11–12 years		Independent	Veikune	George Tupou II r. 1893–1918
5		Siaosi Tuʻipelehake (1842 – 1912)	January 1905	January 1905	0 months		Independent	Pelehake
6		Sione Tupou Mateialona (1852 – 1925)	January 1905	30 September 1912	7 years, 7 months		Independent	Mateialona
7		Tevita Tuʻivakano (1869 – 1923)	30 September 1912	30 June 1923	10 years, 304 days		Independent	Tuʻivakano
									Sālote Tupou III r. 1918–1965
8		Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE (1887 – 1941)	30 June 1923	20 July 1941	18 years, 20 days		Independent	Mailefihi
9		Solomone Ula Ata OBE (1883 – 1950)	20 July 1941	12 December 1949	8 years, 145 days		Independent	Ula
10		Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE (1918 – 2006) [a]	12 December 1949	16 December 1965	16 years, 4 days		Independent	Tungī
11		Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE (1922 – 1999)	16 December 1965	22 August 1991	25 years, 249 days		Independent	Tuʻipelehake	Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV r. 1965–2006
12		Baron Siaosi Vaea (1921 – 2009)	22 August 1991	3 January 2000	8 years, 134 days		Independent	Vaea
13		Prince ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata (born 1959) [b]	3 January 2000	11 February 2006	6 years, 39 days		Independent	Lavaka
14		Feleti Sevele (born 1944)	30 March 2006	22 December 2010	4 years, 314 days		Human Rights and Democracy Movement	Sevele
									George Tupou V r. 2006–2012
15		Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 1952)	22 December 2010	30 December 2014	4 years, 8 days		Independent	Tuʻivakanō I–II
									Tupou VI r. 2012–present
16		ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (1941 – 2019)	30 December 2014	12 September 2019	4 years, 256 days		Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands	Pōhiva
—		Semisi Sika (born 1968) acting	12 September 2019	8 October 2019	26 days		Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands	Pōhiva
17		Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (1951 – 2023)	8 October 2019	27 December 2021	2 years, 80 days		Tonga People's Party	Tuʻiʻonetoa
18		Siaosi Sovaleni (born 1970)	27 December 2021	9 December 2024	2 years, 348 days		Independent	Sovaleni
—		Samiu Vaipulu (born 1953) acting	9 December 2024	Incumbent	24 days		Independent	Sovaleni
19		ʻAisake Eke (born ?)	TBD	Designate			Independent

Timeline

See also

• Politics of Tonga
• List of monarchs of Tonga

Notes

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

References

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. "Tonga PM Hu'akavameiliku resigns". RNZ. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
8. "'Aisake Eke is Tonga's new prime minister". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
9. Constitution of Tonga Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
10. "Tonga gets first elected leader", BBC, 13 February 2006
11. "Tonga's king to cede key powers", BBC, 29 July 2008
12. "Tongan king promises 'more democracy' for Pacific island", The Guardian, 29 July 2008
13. "King of Tonga prepares to give up power", The Telegraph, 11 July 2010

External links

• Prime Minister of Tonga at World Statesman Encyclopedia