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Tevita Tu'i Uata
Dr Tevita Tu'i Uata is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands. He is the son of former MP ‘Uliti Uata. Before entering politics uata was a democracy activist, ran a shipping company, and was president of the Tonga National Business Association. In 2007, Uata was convicted alongside ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and Semisi Sika of leading a protest march in June 2006. He was fined 650 pa'anga. In 2009 one of his vessels was first to reach the scene of the sinking of the MV ''Princess Ashika'' and he gave evidence that the ship was unfit to sail. In 2010 he was charged with bribery after evidence was given in the inquiry into the sinking that he had offered port authority manager Lupeti Vi an envelope of cash for clearance for his vessels to dock. Uata ran unsuccessfully for the electorate of Tongatapu 8 in the 2014 Tongan general election, but was defeated by Semisi Fakahau. In October 2017 Uata was appointed as cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Samiuela ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (7 April 1941 – 12 September 2019) was a Tongan pro-democracy activist and politician. A key leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), he served as the Prime Minister of Tonga from 2014 to his death in 2019. He was only the fourth commoner to serve as Prime Minister (after Shirley Baker in the 1880s, Siosateki Tonga in the 1890s and Feleti Sevele in the 2000s), and the first commoner to be elected to that position by Parliament rather than appointed by the King. Early career Pōhiva worked as a teacher and later studied at the University of the South Pacific before joining the Tongan Teacher Training Staff. He became active in Tonga's pro-democracy movement in the 1980s, and in 1981 he co-founded their monthly radio programme, "Matalafo Laukai". In 1984, he was dismissed from the civil service as punishment for his criticism of the government; he subsequently sued them successfully for unfair dismissal. He then founded the de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samiu Vaipulu
Samiu Kuita Vaipulu (born 24 December 1952) is a Tongan politician and Cabinet of Tonga, Cabinet Minister. He was the Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2014 and is currently Minister for Trade and Economic Development. He most recently served as the Acting Prime Minister of Tonga from December 2024 to January 2025. Personal life Vaipulu is from the island of Ovaka. He has worked as a tour operator and as a manager for the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia. He studied at the University of the South Pacific in 1989, graduating with a Diploma in Legal Studies. He continues to be involved in the tourism industry on his home island of Vava'u. Political career Vaipulu was first elected to Parliament in 1987 Tongan general election, 1987. He lost his seat in the 1990 Tongan general election, 1990 election, but regained it in 1993 Tongan general election, 1993. he then served until 2002 Tongan general election, 2002, when he lost his seat again, but re- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Democratic Party Of The Friendly Islands
The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands () 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 several sitting People's Representatives who were part of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement. Its objectives upon foundation included government transparency and economic reform. The "Friendly Islands" are a name originally given to Tonga by Captain James Cook. 2010 elections The party contested all 17 people's seats in the 2010 elections, winning 12 of them. Following the election, it secured the support of one independent and was seeking the support of two others – 'Aisake Valu Eke and Sunia Fili – by offering them cabinet posts. Following the elections, Niuas MP Sosefo Fe’aomoeata Vakata reportedly quit the party to become an independent and support a noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, Kin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. according to Johnson's Tribune, Tonga has a population of 104,494, 70% of whom reside on the main island, Tongatapu. The country stretches approximately north-south. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest, Samoa to the northeast, New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu to the west, Niue (the nearest foreign territory) to the east and Kermadec (New Zealand) to the southwest. Tonga is about from New Zealand's North Island. Tonga was first inhabited roughly 2,500 years ago by the Lapita civilization, Polynesian settlers who gradually evolved a distinct and strong ethnic identity, language, and culture as the Tongan people. They quickly established a powerful footing across the South Pacific, and this period of Tong ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Herald
''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, peaking at over 200,000 copies in 2006, although circulation of the daily ''Herald'' had declined to 100,073 copies on average by September 2019. The ''Herald''s publications include a daily paper; the ''Weekend Herald'', a weekly Saturday paper; and the ''Herald on Sunday'', which has 365,000 readers nationwide. The ''Herald on Sunday'' is the most widely read Sunday paper in New Zealand. The paper's website, nzherald.co.nz, is viewed 2.2 million times a week and was named Voyager Media Awards' News Website of the Year in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2023, the ''Weekend Herald'' was awarded Weekly Newspaper of the Year and the publication's mobile application was the News App of the Year. Its main circulation area is the Auckland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semisi Sika
Semisi Kioa Lafu Sika (born 31 January 1968) is a Tongan politician, businessman, and Member of the Tongan Parliament from 2010 to 2021. He served as acting prime minister in September 2019, following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva. He is currently leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands. Career and activism Sika is from Haveluloto, and was educated at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, gaining a Bachelor of Science. Before entering politics he worked as a teacher and travel agent, and ran a takeaway shop and catering firm. He is a longstanding supporter of the democratic movement in Tonga. In 2007 he was one of three people, including Human Rights and Democracy Movement leader ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, who were prosecuted for their leadership of a protest march in June 2006. He was found not guilty and discharged. Political career A member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, Sika was elected to Parliament in the seat of Tongatapu 2 in the 2010 electio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MV Princess Ashika
MV ''Princess Ashika'' was an inter-island ferry which operated in the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga. This motorised vessel (MV) was built in 1972, and began sailing the Tongan route on 7 July 2009 only to sink less than a month later on 5 August. Official figures released by Operation Ashika on 19 August 2009, confirmed that 54 men were rescued, and 74 people were lost at sea. These include two bodies recovered and 72 missing (68 passengers and 4 crew), including five foreign nationals. Two of the missing passengers remain unidentified. Tonga's transportation minister, Paul Karalus, resigned six days after the tragedy. The ship was replaced in October 2010 by the MV ''‘Otuanga’ofa'', which after a period of testing, entered service in December 2010. History The ferry was laid down in June 1972 and completed on 27 September 1972 at the Shikoku Dockyard in Takamatsu, Japan, and was named MV ''Olive Maru No. 1''. In 1985, she was renamed MV ''Princess Ashika'' after the o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tongatapu 8
Tongatapu 8 is an electoral constituency for the Legislative Assembly in the Kingdom of Tonga. It was established for the November 2010 general election, when the multi-seat regional constituencies for People's Representatives were replaced by single-seat constituencies, electing one representative via the first past the post electoral system. Located on the country's main island, Tongatapu, it encompasses the villages of Malapo, Vaini, Longoteme, Folaha, Nukuhetulu, Kauvai, and Veitongo. Its first ever representative was Sione Taione, a first time MP, representing the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands. At the 2014 election he was replaced by Semisi Fakahau, who held it until his death in 2022. The subsequent by-election was won by Johnny Taione. Members of Parliament Election results 2010 2014 Along with five other incumbent DPFI MPs, Sione Taione was not selected as a DPFI candidate for this election, and announced he would be running as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 to appoint members to Cabinet from outside Parliament, thus granting them a non-elected ''ex officio'' seat in Parliament. They were the second elections carried out under the May 2010 electoral law, which provided that a majority of Assembly members should be elected by the people, rather than the people and the nobility having equal representation."Tonga: Fale Alea (Legislative Assembly)" The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semisi Fakahau
Semisi Tauelangi Fakahau (11 February 1948 − 27 October 2022) was a Tongan politician and Cabinet of Tonga, Cabinet Minister. He was a member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands. Fakahau was educated at Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment, Vudal Agricultural College in Papua New Guinea. Before entering politics he was Principal Fisheries Officer for the Tongan Government, a fisheries advisor to the Commonwealth Secretariat, and a freelance fisheries consultant. Fakahau was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga at the 2014 Tongan general election, and was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries. He was re-elected in the 2017 Tongan general election and reappointed to Cabinet. In January 2019 his portfolio was split, with Losaline Ma'asi taking Agriculture, Food, and Forestry and Fakahau retaining Fisheries. Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva he was not appointed to the cabinet of Pohiva Tuʻi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
