Bikenibeu Paeniu, PC (born 10 May 1956) is a politician from

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-nor ...

. He represented the constituency of

Nukulaelae Nukulaelae is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu, and it has a population of 300 (2017 census). The largest settlement is Pepesala on Fangaua islet with a population of 300 people (2017 Census). It has the form of an oval and consists of ...

in the

Parliament of Tuvalu The Parliament of Tuvalu (called ''Fale i Fono'' in Tuvaluan, or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'') is the unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the ''Vaiaku maneapa''. The ''maneapa'' on each island is ...

. He has served twice as 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 ...

, and now serving as Tuvalu ambassador to Taiwan since June 2022.

Political career

Paeniu made his entrance on the political scene in November 1989, when he won a seat in the

following a

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 ...

First period of office as Prime Minister

Following the 1989 Tuvaluan general election on 27 September 1989, he challenged incumbent

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 i ...

Tomasi Puapua Sir Tomasi Puapua (born 10 September 1938) is a political figure who represented Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He attended the Fiji School of Medicine and the Otago University Medical School. He married Riana Puapua. Prime minister ...

in the general election and won, becoming the youngest ever Prime Minister of Tuvalu at age 33. Paeniu formed a five-member Cabinet on 16 October 1989. The next general election was held on 25 November 1993. In the subsequent parliament the members were evenly split in their support of Bikenibeu Paeniu and the former Prime Minister Tomasi Puapua. As a consequence, the Governor-General dissolved the parliament on 22 September and a further election took place on 25 November 1993. The subsequent parliament elected

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. ...

as prime minister on 10 December 1993, with a 7:5 majority over the group a members of parliament headed by Bikenibeu Paeniu.

Second period of office as Prime Minister

Kamuta Latasi was the prime minister until 24 December 1996. As the result the vote on a

motion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or m ...

Kamuta Latasi resigned and Bikenibeu Paeniu was elected as prime minister for the second time. In his second premiership term, an issue which arose was the controversy surrounding the design of the national flag of Tuvalu. Paeniu successfully led moves to revert the flag to a previously used design which included the British Union Jack. Paeniu is less overtly

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in inclination than Latasi. On 18 December 1997 the parliament was dissolved and the general election was held on 26 March 1998. Bikenibeu Paeniu was re-elected prime minister on 8 April 1998. Paeniu remained as prime minister until he resigned following the vote on a

on 27 April 1999 and

Ionatana Ionatana Ionatana Ionatana, CVO OBE CPM (5 November 1938 – 8 December 2000), was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He represented the constituency of Funafuti in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Tuvalu f ...

was elected as prime minister.

Subsequent career

Paeniu sat as a Member of Parliament, representing the constituency of

island, until 2006. In addition, he served as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the cabinets of Koloa Talake,

Saufatu Sopoanga Saufatu Sopoanga (22 February 1952 – 15 December 2020) was a Tuvaluan politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Tuvalu from 2 August 2002 to 27 August 2004. He drew international attention for his speeches warning about the effec ...

and

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, ...

. Paeniu lost his seat in Parliament in the 2006 general election. He faced challenge not only from independent Namoliki Sualiki, but also from his own brother and nephew, Iefata and Luke, who stood against him in his constituency. Bikenibeu Paeniu received 65 votes (ahead of Lukes's 64 and Iefata's 21), but Sualiki was elected with 109. Paeniu is an alumnus in

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the go ...

in Fiji, where he resides as of 2016.[University_of_the_South_Pacific_Profile
/ref>

_See_also

*_Politics_of_Tuvalu.html" ;"title="niversity of the South Pacific Profile">[University of the South Pacific Profile
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paeniu Prime Ministers of Tuvalu Finance Ministers of Tuvalu Ambassadors of Tuvalu to Taiwan 1956 births Living people People from Nukulaelae People from the Gilbert Islands Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom University of the South Pacific alumni Tuvaluan republicans