Penisimani 'Epenisa Fifita is a Tongan politician and former Member of the

Legislative Assembly of Tonga The Legislative Assembly of Tonga ( to, Fale Alea ʻo Tonga) is the unicameral legislature of Tonga. The assembly has 26 members in which 17 members elected by majority of the people for a 5-year term in multi-seat constituencies via the singl ...

. He is a member of the

Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands ( to, Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa) is a political party in Tonga. The party's leader at its foundation was 'Akilisi Pohiva. The party was launched in September 2010, and included s ...

. Before entering politics Fifita worked as a teacher, lecturer, and a public servant for Tonga's Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was first elected at the

2014 Tongan general election General elections were held in Tonga on 27 November 2014. All twenty-six elected seats in the single-chamber Legislative Assembly were up for election, although the monarch, acting on the advice of his Prime Minister, retains the possibility t ...

. He served as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House, and in October 2016 was made Minister of Internal Affairs. In January 2017 he became Minister of Education. He was re-elected at the 2017 election and retained his portfolio. In 2018, he caused a public controversy by banning Tongan schoolgirls from playing

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

. Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and his replacement by Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa in October 2019 he was not reappointed to Tuʻiʻonetoa's new Cabinet. He lost his seat in the

2021 Tongan general election General elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 to elect 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Following the election four MPs were unseated for bribery. Background The 2017 general election resulted in a landslide victo ...

References

Living people Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Government ministers of Tonga Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands politicians Year of birth missing (living people) {{Tonga-politician-stub