Viliami Manuopangai Faka’osiula Hingano (1975 – 10 June 2022) 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 politician and Cabinet Minister.

Biography

Hingano ran in the 2010 Tongan general election but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga at the 2014 election, but his election was disputed, leading to a recount, which he won. In parliament, he generally sided with the Noble faction, opposing the government of

ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Samiuela ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (7 April 1941 – 12 September 2019) was a Tongan pro-democracy activist and politician. Pohiva, the leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), served as the Prime Minister of Tonga from 2014 to h ...

's decision to withdraw from hosting the

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games wer ...

, and opposing it in confidence votes. In June 2016 he advocated for higher salaries for MPs. Hingano was defeated at the 2017 election, losing to Moʻale Finau. In January 2021 he was appointed Governor of Haʻapai by Prime Minister Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa. Shortly after being appointed he was convicted of unlawful possession of 198 kg of turtle meat. He was fined T$12,000, but allowed to retain his position. He was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2021 election. On 28 December 2021 he was appointed to the Cabinet of

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 ...

as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forests. Immediately after being appointed he flew to New Zealand for medical treatment. Hingano died in Auckland on 10 June 2022 at the age of 47.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hingano, Viliami Manuopangai Fakaosiula 2022 deaths Government ministers of Tonga Governors of Haʻapai Independent politicians in Tonga Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga 1975 births