ʻAisake Eke
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ʻAisake Valu Eke is a Tongan politician who has served as
prime minister of Tonga The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the head of government of Tonga. Tonga is a monarchy with the List of monarchs of Tonga, king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state. The current p ...
since 22 January 2025. He also served in the Cabinet as Minister for Finance and National Planning from 2014 to 2017.


Education

Eke received a degree in economics during the 1980s at the
University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...
. He undertook his doctorate at the
University of Southern Queensland The University of Southern Queensland is a public research university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, the sixth largest city in the Australian state of Queensland Founded in 1967 after a successful campaign by the local Darling Down ...
in Australia, where he was awarded a
Doctor of Business Administration The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a terminal degree in business administration. The DBA is classified as a research doctorate or professional doctorate depending on the granting university and country where the degree was awarded. ...
for his thesis "An exploratory study on the quality of service in the public sector in Tonga" completed in 2013.


Member of Parliament

A former Secretary for Finance at the Ministry of Finance, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly at the November 2010 general election as MP for Tongatapu 5. Though close to the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, and despite having considered running as a party member, he stood as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, taking the seat with 24.1% of the vote and a 63-vote margin; Tongatapu 5 was thus the only constituency on
Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...
(Tonga's main island) not to be won by the party. Once elected, he told the press there was much to be done to improve the economy, and said the government should facilitate private sector activity. In October 2011, he was one of several MPs to protest against Parliament voting large allowances to any of its members on sick leave overseas. Stating that MPs should not be spending more public money on themselves at a time when the economy was weak, he was one of eight MPs to vote against the increased allowances (along with ʻAkilisi Pohiva, Semisi Sika, Sitiveni Halapua, Sangster Saulala, Sione Taione, Falisi Tupou and Moʻale Finau, all members of the Democratic Party). The motion was adopted by twelve votes to eight.


Finance Minister

In January 2014, Prime Minister Lord Tuʻivakano appointed him
Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...
, following the sacking of Lisiate ‘Akolo over a disagreement concerning the budget. He subsequently kept that position in Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pohiva's government. In March 2017, however, he abstained during a parliamentary vote on a
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
against the government he was part of, and was compelled to resign. He subsequently lost his seat at the 2017 election. He was re-elected in the seat of Tongatapu 5 in the 2021 election. In the aftermath of the election he was one of three candidates for Prime Minister, but was ultimately defeated by
Siaosi Sovaleni Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni (born 28 February 1970), styled Hon. Hu‘akavameiliku, is a Tongan politician who served as the prime minister of Tonga from 2021 until his resignation in 2024. He had previously served as a cabinet minister, a ...
, who won the Premiership with 16 votes. In May 2022 he was absolved of bribery by the Supreme Court.


Prime Minister

On 24 December 2024, Eke was elected prime minister by the
Legislative Assembly of Tonga The Legislative Assembly of Tonga () is the unicameral legislature of Tonga. History A Legislative Assembly providing for representation of nobles and commoners was established in 1862 by King George Tupou I. This body met every four years ...
, defeating
Viliami Latu Dr. Viliami Uasike Latu is a Tongan politician and Cabinet of Tonga, Cabinet Minister. After completing secondary education at Tonga High School, he became a high school teacher at the Mailefihi & Siuʻilikutapu College (in Vavaʻu) in 1991. He ...
by 16 votes to eight. King Tupou VI formally appointed Eke as prime minister on 22 January 2025. His cabinet was announced on 28 January and included four appointees to parliament, two of whom were women. The cabinet also included one noble, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, who became foreign minister. In February 2025 Eke announced that the previous government's decision to privatise Vavaʻu International Airport would be reversed.


Honours

* Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III, Commander (31 July 2008).


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eke, 'Aisake Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Living people People from Tongatapu University of Southern Queensland alumni Prime ministers of Tonga Independent politicians in Tonga Ministers of finance of Tonga Government ministers of Tonga Year of birth missing (living people) Knight Commanders of the Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III