General elections were held in

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

on 17 March 2005. Only nine members of the 30-seat parliament were elected, the rest appointed by the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

or were members of the Tongan aristocracy. The

Human Rights and Democracy Movement The Human Rights and Democracy Movement (HRDM) is a political party in Tonga. Its leader is Uliti Uata. The HRDM was founded in the late 1970s as an informal group of Tongans interested in democratic reform. It was formalised in 1992 as the Pro ...

won seven of the nine seats.

'Aho'eitu 'Unuaki'otonga Tuku'aho Tupou VI (; born 12 July 1959) is the King of Tonga. He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V. He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Throne of Tonga, as his ...

, son of the King, initially retained his position as

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, but he resigned in 2006, with the position passing to

Feleti Sevele Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele, Lord Sevele of Vailahi (born 7 July 1944) was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010. Biography Early life Lord Sevele was born in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa. He began his hig ...

, one of the two independent candidates elected. Sevele is the first non-noble Prime Minister of the country.

Results

By constituency

Aftermath

By-election were held on 5 May 2005 to fill vacancies in Tongatapu and Niuas following the appointment of

and

Sione Haukinima Sione is a given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name A – K * Sione Asi (born 1998), New Zealand rugby union player *Sione Fakaʻosilea (born 1987), Tongan rugby union player * Sione Faletau (born 1988), Tongan rugby union player * Sion ...

to the cabinet. Former Police Minister

Clive Edwards Clive Edwards (born 19 January 1953, Hounslow, Middlesex, England) is a drummer, who is best known as a former member of the British band, UFO (from August 1989 to June 1993). He also featured on the Bronz second album ''Carried By The Storm' ...

was elected in

Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...

, and Lepolo Taunisila was elected in

Niuas Niua is a division of the Kingdom of Tonga, namely the northernmost group of islands. It consists of three islands (Niuafoʻou, Niuatoputapu and Tafahi) which together have an area of 71.69 km2 and a population of 1,150. The largest village is ...

. A third by-election was held on 20 July 2006 for the Ha'apai electorate after Fineasi Funaki was appointed as Minister of Tourism. The election was won by 'Osai Laatu.

References

{{Tongan elections Elections in Tonga

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...