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'''Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni''' (born 28 February 1970)<ref name="gov">{{Cite web|title=Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni|url=https://parliament.gov.to/members-of-parliament/peoples/325-siaosi-ofakivahafolau-sovaleni|access-date=2021-01-13|website=parliament.gov.to}}</ref> is a |
[https://www.thearticle.online/?m=1 '''Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni''' (born 28 February 1970)]<ref name="gov">{{Cite web|title=Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni|url=https://parliament.gov.to/members-of-parliament/peoples/325-siaosi-ofakivahafolau-sovaleni|access-date=2021-01-13|website=parliament.gov.to}}</ref> [https://www.thearticle.online/?m=1 is a Tongan politician, Cabinet Minister, and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga who is the prime minister-designate of Tonga.]<ref>{{cite news |title=Tonga elects new PM: Siaosi Sovaleni |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/457979/tonga-elects-new-pm-siaosi-sovaleni |access-date=15 December 2021 |agency=[[Radio New Zealand|RNZ]] |date=15 December 2021}}</ref> [https://www.thearticle.online/?m=1 From 2014 to 2017 he was Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga.]<ref name="gov"/> |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Revision as of 07:50, 16 December 2021
Siaosi Sovaleni | |
|---|---|
 Siaosi Sovaleni in 2017 | |
| Prime Minister-designate of Tonga | |
| Assuming office December 2021 | |
| Monarch | Tupou VI |
| Succeeding | Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa |
| Minister for Education & Training | |
| Assumed office 10 October 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa |
| Preceded by | Penisimani Fifita |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga | |
| In office 30 December 2014 – 6 September 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | ʻAkilisi Pōhiva |
| Preceded by | Samiu Vaipulu |
| Succeeded by | Lord Maʻafu |
| Minister for Environment and Communication | |
| In office 30 December 2014 – 6 September 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Lord Maʻafu |
| Succeeded by | Poasi Tei |
| Member of Parliament for Tongatapu 3 | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Sitiveni Halapua |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni 28 February 1970 Ngele'ia, Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga |
| Political party | Independent |
Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni (born 28 February 1970)[1] is a Tongan politician, Cabinet Minister, and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga who is the prime minister-designate of Tonga.[2] From 2014 to 2017 he was Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga.[1]
Early life
Sovaleni is from Ngele'ia on Tongatapu. He attended Timaru Boys' High School and graduated in 1988.[3] He was educated at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in computer science in 1992.[4] He subsequently completed a Masters degree at the University of Oxford, and an MBA at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.[4] He worked as a public servant for Tonga's Ministry of Finance from 1996 to 2010, before working for the Pacific Community and Asian Development Bank. He returned to Tonga in 2013 to work as the Chief Executive in the Ministry of Public Enterprises.[4]
Political career
Sovaleni was first elected to Parliament at the 2014 Tongan general election, and appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Communications in the Cabinet of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva.[5] As Communications Minister, he pushed through two bills allowing for internet censorship in 2015.[6]
In September 2017 he was sacked for disloyalty for supporting King Tupou VI's decision to sack the Prime Minister, dissolve Parliament and call new elections.[7][8][9] He ran in the 2017 Tongan general election and was re-elected as the only non-DPFI MP on Tongatapu.[10] He subsequently contested the Premiership with Pohiva, but was defeated by 12 votes to 14.[11]
Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Sovaleni supported Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa for Prime Minister. He was appointed to Tuʻiʻonetoa's Cabinet as Minister for Education and Training.[12]
He was re-elected in the 2021 election while receiving the highest number of votes of all candidates for any seat.[13] In post-election negotiations he emerged as one of the two chief contenders for the Premiership, along with ʻAisake Eke.[14] On 15 December 2021 he was elected Prime Minister, defeating Eke with 16 votes.[15][16]
References
- ^ a b "Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni". parliament.gov.to. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "Tonga elects new PM: Siaosi Sovaleni". RNZ. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Ashby-Coventry, Esther (16 December 2021). "New Tongan Prime Minister attended Timaru Boys' High School". Stuff New Zealand. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
Siaosi Sovaleni attended his final high school year boarding at the school in 1988. He was appointed Prime Minister of the Polynesian kingdom on Wednesday almost a month after the general election on November 18.
- ^ a b c "PROFILE: Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni". MIC. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga leader names one noble in Cabinet". RNZ. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "TONGA: Parliament hastily passes 2 bills to control internet access". Pacific Media watch. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Lord Ma'afu Named Tonga Acting Prime Minister". Pacific Islands Report. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga's Sovaleni flummoxed about sacking". RNZ. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga's caretaker PM Pōhiva sacks deputy and Finance Minister". Asia-Pacific Report. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "TONGA: Democratic landslide delivers numbers for Pōhiva government". Pacific Media Watch. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Pohiva retains Tonga prime ministership". RNZ. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ ""Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers"". Government of Tonga. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps". Matangi Tonga. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "First photo emerges as Sovaleni gets support of 11 MPs; Tu'i'onetoa allegedly withdraws from premiership race". Kaniva Tonga. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Emotional, Siaosi Sovaleni elected PM Designate". Matangi Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "MPs choose Siaosi Sovaleni as new prime minister". Kaniva Tonga. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
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