Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (Tongan
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...

: Paati Temokalati 'a e 'Otu Motu 'Anga'ofa) is a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

. The party's leader is 'Akilisi Pohiva
Samuela 'Akilisi Pohiva
Samuela 'Akilisi Pohiva is a Tongan politician and a leading member of that country's pro-democracy movement. He is a former teacher, broadcaster, and newspaper publisher, and a founding member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement and Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands.-Personal...

.

The party was launched in September 2010, and included several sitting People's Representatives who were part of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement
Human Rights and Democracy Movement
The Human Rights and Democracy Movement is a political party in Tonga. Its leader is Uliti Uata.The HRDM was founded in the late 1970s as an informal group of Tongans interested in democratic reform. It was formalised in 1992 as the Pro-Democracy Movement, and contested several elections under...

. Its policies include government transparency and economic reform.

The "Friendly Islands" are a name originally given to Tonga by Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...

.

2010 elections

The party contested all 17 people's seats in the 2010 elections
Tongan general election, 2010
Early general elections under a new electoral law were held in Tonga on 25 November 2010. They determined the composition of the 2010 Tongan Legislative Assembly....

, 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
Sunia Fili
Sunia Manu Fili is a Tongan politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. He is a former member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement....

 – by offering them cabinet posts.

Following the elections, Niuas MP Sosefo Fe’aomoeata Vakata
Sosefo Fe’aomoeata Vakata
Sosefo Fe’aomoeata Vakata is a Tongan politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. He is a former member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands....

reportedly quit the party to become an independent and support a noble candidate as Prime Minister.
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