General elections were held in

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...

on 3 August 2006 to elect fifteen members to the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. There were 5,765 eligible voters on the electoral roll. 32 candidates, including 2 women, competed for the 15 seats (the parliament had been increased from 12 to 15 elected members). All fifteen candidates elected were Independents, as there are no political parties in the country. The years before the election had involved an uncertain economic situation with questions about the political stability with frequent changes of prime minister. There had also been questions about the integrity of some government ministers. The election saw eight of the fifteen incumbent MPs defeated, including the entire cabinet of the incumbent Prime Minister

Maatia Toafa Maatia Toafa OBE (born 1 May 1954) is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea, who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, ...

(who did retain his seat). Eight new members were elected to the parliament. The new members of parliament are predominantly experienced civil servants, including

Taukelina Finikaso Taukelina Finikaso (born 10 January 1959) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. At the 2006 general election, he was elected MP for his home constituency of Vaitupu. He was educated in Kiribati and Fiji before acquiring a Law D ...

(former diplomat);

Iakoba Italeli Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli is a Tuvaluan politician who was the governor-general of Tuvalu from 16 April 2010, until 22 August 2019, when he resigned to contest in the 2019 general election. He is also a former attorney general of Tuvalu who ...

(former attorney general);

Lotoala Metia Lotoala Metia (died 21 December 2012

(former auditor general); Namoliki Sualiki (former school principal);

Willy Telavi Willy Telavi (born 28 January 1954) is a Tuvaluan politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2010 to 2013. Telavi was first elected to parliament in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010. He became prime minister on 24 December 2010 and the Tel ...

(former police commissioner); and

Falesa Pitoi Dr. Falesa Pitoi is a Tuvaluan politician. A dentist by profession, he began his career in national politics when he was elected to Parliament in the August 2006 general election as MP for Nanumaga. He then served for a time as Minister for ...

(dentist).

Apisai Ielemia Apisai Ielemia (19 August 1955 – 19 November 2018) was a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010, and was returned as a member of parliament in the 2010 Tuvaluan general election. He was re-electe ...

was elected the prime minister.

Results

Aftermath

On 14 August 2006

was elected as prime minister; he had been a diplomat, clerk to parliament and senior civil servant.

Kamuta Latasi Sir Kamuta Latasi (born September 4, 1936) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu from Funafuti atoll. He was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in 1992. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. ...

was appointed the Speaker of the parliament. The new government sworn in by Governor General, Reverend

Filoimea Telito Sir Filoimea Telito (19 March 1945 – 11 July 2011) was a political and religious figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He was born on Vaitupu where he attended Elisefou (New Ellice) primary school. He later attended King George V School (Gi ...

on 14 August comprised Apisai Ielemia as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs;

Tavau Teii Tavau Teii is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Election After standing unsuccessfully for Parliament in the 2002 general election in the constituency of Niutao, Teii won a by-election on 5 May 2003 triggered by the death o ...

(Niutao) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources;

(Nanumea) Home Affairs;

Lotoala Metia Lotoala Metia (died 21 December 2012

(Nukufetau) Finance, Economic Planning and Industries;

Kausea Natano Kausea Natano (born 5 July 1957) is a Tuvaluan politician who is serving as Prime Minister of Tuvalu, in office since 19 September 2019. He is also serving as an MP for Funafuti, having also served as the country's deputy prime minister and mini ...

(Funafuti) Public Utilities;

(Vaitupu) Communications and Works; Italeli Taeia (Nui) Education, Sports and Health. Sir

Tomu Sione Sir Tomu Malaefone Sione (17 November 1941 – April 2016) was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He worked as a journalist from 1962 to 1968, and held the post of radio announcer in the Broadcasting and Information Departm ...

(Niutao) acted as Chairman of the Caucus.

References

Elections in Tuvalu

Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

Non-partisan elections Election and referendum articles with incomplete results {{Tuvalu-stub