by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

was held in the Nui constituency 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 10 September 2013. It was triggered by the resignation of the incumbent, MP

Taom Tanukale Taom Tanukale is a Tuvaluan politician. He began his career in national politics when he was elected to Parliament in a by-election in May 2005, as MP for Nui, following the death of his predecessor, Amasone Kilei. He joined Prime Minister Ma ...

, the Minister for Health, in the government of

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 ...

Result of the by-election

The Nui by-election was held on 10 September 2013.

Leneuoti Maatusi Leneuoti Matusi is a Tuvaluan politician and former civil servant who was elected as an Independent MP for the Nui constituency in a 2013 by-election, having previously served as the Secretary of the Nui Falekaupule. Matusi gained 297 votes out ...

was declared the winner, polling 297 of the 778 registered voters. Matusi has been a civil servant and served as the Secretary of the Nui Falekaupule. He beat Palemene Anelu, a recent graduate of the University of the South Pacific, who received 206 votes and

, who received 160 votes. Nui is a two-seat constituency, and in the 2010 general election it had returned

Isaia Italeli Isaia Italeli Taeia (1960s – 19/20 July 2011), more commonly known as Isaia Italeli, was a Tuvaluan politician. He was elected to Parliament as MP for Nui in the September 2010 general election, at which time his elder brother, Sir Ia ...

and

with 24.6% and 23% of the vote respectively, ahead of three other candidates. The second member of parliament from Nui is

Pelenike Isaia Pelenike Tekinene Isaia served in the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2011 to 2015. Before her election as an MP she worked for the Tuvalu Cooperative Society, as its branch manager in Nui. Her career in national politics began when she won the Aug ...

, who was elected following the death of her husband

, in the 2011 Nui by-election.

Background to the Nui by-election

Although there are no political parties in Tuvalu, Members of Parliament align themselves with the government or with the Opposition. A

constitutional crisis In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variations to this d ...

developed in 2013 when Willy Telavi, the

Prime Minister of Tuvalu The prime minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the prime minister must always be a member of the parliament, and is elected by parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political ...

, refused to recall Parliament following the 2013 Nukufetau by-election. Tuvalu's opposition then requested the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

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 ...

to intervene against the Prime Minister's decision not to recall Parliament. On 3 July 2013 the Governor-General exercised his

reserve power In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government, a reserve power, also known as discretionary power, is a power that may be exercised by the head of state without the approval of another branch or part of the government. Unlike in a ...

s in ordering Parliament to convene."Tuvalu’s parliament convenes July 30"
, ''Islands Business'', 3 July 2013 When the Parliament met on 30 July, the Speaker (

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. ...

) refused to allow a debate on a no-confidence motion in the government of Willy Telavi.

, the Health Minister then resigned from Parliament (and thus also from the government). This resignation appeared to be political manoeuvre as Willy Telavi responded by insisting that Parliament should be suspended until a by-election was held and declined to call the by-election. In Tuvalu a by-election can only be called when requested by the Prime Minister. The Governor-General Iakoba Italeli then proceeded to exercise his reserve powers to order Mr Telavi's removal and the appointment of

Enele Sopoaga Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Mi ...

as interim prime minister. The Parliament subsequently confirmed the appointment of

as prime minister. The government of Enele Sopoaga had a majority of two going into the by-election.

, elected in the by-election, committed to support Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga.

Results

References

{{reflist, 2 2013 elections in Oceania 2013 in Tuvalu By-elections to the Parliament of Tuvalu Non-partisan elections

Result of the by-election

Background to the Nui by-election

Results

See also

References