![Parliament Nuku'alofa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Parliament_Nuku%27alofa.jpg)
The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the country's
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...
.
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 ...
is a monarchy with the
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, currently
Tupou VI
Tupou VI (; born 12 July 1959) is the King of Tonga. He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V. He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Throne of Tonga, as his ...
, former prime minister, as
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
. The current prime minister is
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 T ...
, who was elected on 15 December 2021 and appointed on 27 December 2021. Sovaleni was elected with 16 votes.
The office of prime minister was established by the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
of 1875, whose article 51 stipulates that the prime minister and other ministers are appointed and dismissed by the king.
The prime minister is assisted by the
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 ...
.
2000s democratization
During the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (born Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was the King of Tonga, from the death of his mother, Queen Sālote Tupou III, in 1965 until his own death in 2006.
Immediately prior to his death, ...
appointed
Feleti Sevele, a moderate member of the
Human Rights and Democracy Movement, as prime minister. Sevele was the first commoner to hold this post since
Shirley Waldemar Baker
Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836 – 16 November 1903) was a Methodist missionary in Tonga. He was the founder of the Free Church of Tonga and enjoyed significant influence during the reign of George Tupou I, who made him prime minister.
Early life ...
in 1881. All the prime ministers since Baker had been members of the
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
, or even the royal family.
In July 2008, King
George Tupou V
George Tupou V ( Tongan: Siaosi Tupou, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou; 4 May 194818 March 2012) was the King of Tonga from the death of his father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV in 2006 until his own death six years later.
...
announced more substantial democratic reforms. He would abandon the essential part of his executive powers, and would henceforth follow the custom of monarchies such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, exercising his prerogatives only with the prime minister's advice. In addition, he would no longer appoint the prime minister anyone he wished, but would appoint a member of the Legislative Assembly to be elected by the
Legislative Assembly.
"King of Tonga prepares to give up power"
''The Telegraph'', 11 July 2010
List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga (1876–present)
, - style="text-align:center;"
, colspan=8, ''Vacant (18 December 1879 – April 1881)''
Timeline
See also
*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 ...
**Politics of Tonga
The politics of Tonga take place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the King is the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Tonga's Prime Minister is currently appointed by the King from among the members ...
**List of monarchs of Tonga
This is a list of monarchs of Tonga since 1845, after the Constitution of Tonga established the role of the monarch. The first monarch of Tonga was George Tupou I.
2008 cession of powers
Three days before his coronation on 1 August 2008, t ...
* Lists of office-holders
Notes
References
External links
Prime Minister of Tonga
at World Statesman Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime Minister of Tonga
Politics of Tonga
Government of Tonga
Tonga, Prime Minister of
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 ...
1876 establishments in Tonga