Senipisi Langi Kavaliku (1939 – 3 December 2008), styled Hon. Hu’akavameiliku, was a

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 ...

n scholar and politician. He served as a

Cabinet Minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, � ...

for 35 years, and was

Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga The Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga is the principal deputy of the Prime Minister of Tonga. The office is currently vacant. List of officeholders * Havea Tui'ha'ateiho (1953–1960) * Langi Kavaliku (22 August 1991 – 2000) * Tevita Poasi Tu ...

in the 1990s. He was the first Tongan to obtain a master's degree and a PhD.

Early life

Kavaliku was educated at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, before obtaining a Master of Arts from the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. In 1966 he completed a PhD from

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

, with a thesis was on "Educational reorganization for national development in Tonga".

Political career

Shortly after graduating he was appointed to Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio. In early 1968 he was appointed acting

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

while Mahe 'Uli'uli Tupouniua was seeking medical treatment in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In 1969 he was serving as Minister of Education and Works. In 1969 he was granted the royal chiefly title of Hu'akavameiliku. He served as pro-chancellor of the

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

from 1976 to 1981, and again from 2000 - 2006. He served as

deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

for over 20 years. He retired from politics in 2000. Following the 2005 Tongan public service strike he was appointed to the National Committee for Political Reform which recommended a transition to democracy.

Death

On 3 December 2008, he was killed in a car accident when his car struck a mound of rocks.

Family

His son

Siaosi Sovaleni Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni (born 28 February 1970) is a Tongan politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Tonga since 2021. He has previously served as a Cabinet Minister, and from 2014 to 2017, he was Deputy Prime Minister of To ...

is the current

Prime Minister of Tonga The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the country's head of government. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state. The current prime minister is Siaosi Sov ...

References

1939 births 2008 deaths Harvard University alumni Alumni of the University of Cambridge Victoria University of Wellington alumni Tongan academics Deputy Prime Ministers of Tonga Government ministers of Tonga Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Road incident deaths in Tonga Academic staff of the University of the South Pacific {{Tonga-politician-stub