The
Parliament of Tuvalu (
Fale i Fono, also sometimes known as the
House of Assembly) is the unicameral national legislature in
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
.
History and political culture
It was first established when Tuvalu separated from the
Gilbert and Ellice IslandsThe Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
in 1975, three years before it officially gained independence. The Parliament of Tuvalu is rare among national legislatures in that it is nonpartisan in nature. It does tend to have both a distinct government and distinct opposition, but members often cross the floor between the two groups, resulting in a number of mid-term changes of government in recent years.
Composition
The parliament has 15 members, each of which serve a four-year term. Each member is elected by popular vote one of eight island-based constituencies, seven of which elect two members, and one which elects only one member. Universal suffrage exists for those over eighteen years of age. The parliament is responsible for nominating the
Prime Minister of TuvaluThe Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is elected by Parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of Parliament can be...
from among their ranks, who serves as head of the government. The Prime Minister then nominates four other members to serve in the governing Cabinet. The members of parliament also nominate a speaker of parliament, who presides over the parliament itself.
Any member of parliament may introduce legislation into parliament, but in practice, as in most partisan systems, this occurs mainly at the behest of the governing Cabinet. Legislation undergoes first, second and third readings before being presented to the
Governor-General of TuvaluThe Governor-General of Tuvalu is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tuvalu, the nation's Head of State, and performs the duties of the Queen in her absence.-History:...
for assent, as in other
Westminster systemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
s. One notable variation, however, means that legislation is constitutionally required to be presented to local governments (falekaupules) for review after the first reading; they may then propose amendments through their local member of parliament. Another particularly notable feature of
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
's Parliamentary life, shared by some other Pacific national parliaments such as that of
NauruNauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, is the frequent recourse to the vote of no confidence, which not unusually has at its origins some relatively obscure issue, sometimes linked to relations between personalities.
In May 2010, a consultation entitled “Promoting Women in Decision Making” was held in
FunafutiFunafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
, in response to the fact that Parliament had no women MPs, and had had only one throughout its history (
Naama Maheu LatasiNaama Maheu Latasi, Lady Latasi is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu.-Background and political office:She stood for election in the constituency of Nanumea in 1989 and was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu...
, from 1989 to 1997). The outcome was a recommendation for the introduction of two new seats, to be reserved for women. This followed the example of
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, which had only one MP at that time, and whose Parliament was considering a bill to introduce twenty-two seats reserved for women. The Tuvaluan Ministry for Home Affairs, which has responsibility for women’s affairs, stated that steps would be taken to consider the recommendation.
2006 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on August 3, 2006. The 2006 elections marked a noticeable change, with eight of the fifteen members being defeated, including the entire cabinet of then-Prime Minister
Maatia ToafaMaatia Toafa is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, Saufatu Sopoanga, until the defeat of his Cabinet in the 2006 general election...
. He was subsequently toppled and replaced by
Apisai IelemiaApisai Ielemia is a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010.-Background:...
.
2010 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on 16 September 2010.
In the
Tuvaluan general election, 2010A parliamentary election was held in Tuvalu on 16 September 2010.Voters elected fifteen members of the Parliament to a four-year term. All candidates were independents, as there are no political parties in the country. Ten out of the fifteen incumbent members were re-elected. The remaining five...
Prime Minister Ielemia retained his seat to win re-election from his
VaitupuVaitupu is an atoll, which is part of the nation of Tuvalu.Vaitupu, the largest atoll of Tuvalu is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. The capital is Asau.-History:...
constituency. In total, ten MPs were re-elected, including Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
, while five incumbent MPs — including deputy Prime Minister
Tavau Teii-Background:Teii is from Niutao and he stood for the Parliament of Tuvalu in, and was elected from, the constituency of Niutao.-Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu:He was Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu in the Government of Apisai Ielemia...
— lost their seats. The announcement that ten sitting MPs had been re-elected was made by Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
the following day.
A
secret ballotThe secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
to determine the next prime minister was held on September 29, 2010.
The
Parliament of Tuvalu (
Fale i Fono, also sometimes known as the
House of Assembly) is the unicameral national legislature in
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
.
History and political culture
It was first established when Tuvalu separated from the
Gilbert and Ellice IslandsThe Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
in 1975, three years before it officially gained independence. The Parliament of Tuvalu is rare among national legislatures in that it is nonpartisan in nature. It does tend to have both a distinct government and distinct opposition, but members often cross the floor between the two groups, resulting in a number of mid-term changes of government in recent years.
Composition
The parliament has 15 members, each of which serve a four-year term. Each member is elected by popular vote one of eight island-based constituencies, seven of which elect two members, and one which elects only one member. Universal suffrage exists for those over eighteen years of age. The parliament is responsible for nominating the
Prime Minister of TuvaluThe Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is elected by Parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of Parliament can be...
from among their ranks, who serves as head of the government. The Prime Minister then nominates four other members to serve in the governing Cabinet. The members of parliament also nominate a speaker of parliament, who presides over the parliament itself.
Any member of parliament may introduce legislation into parliament, but in practice, as in most partisan systems, this occurs mainly at the behest of the governing Cabinet. Legislation undergoes first, second and third readings before being presented to the
Governor-General of TuvaluThe Governor-General of Tuvalu is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tuvalu, the nation's Head of State, and performs the duties of the Queen in her absence.-History:...
for assent, as in other
Westminster systemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
s. One notable variation, however, means that legislation is constitutionally required to be presented to local governments (falekaupules) for review after the first reading; they may then propose amendments through their local member of parliament. Another particularly notable feature of
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
's Parliamentary life, shared by some other Pacific national parliaments such as that of
NauruNauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, is the frequent recourse to the vote of no confidence, which not unusually has at its origins some relatively obscure issue, sometimes linked to relations between personalities.
In May 2010, a consultation entitled “Promoting Women in Decision Making” was held in
FunafutiFunafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
, in response to the fact that Parliament had no women MPs, and had had only one throughout its history (
Naama Maheu LatasiNaama Maheu Latasi, Lady Latasi is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu.-Background and political office:She stood for election in the constituency of Nanumea in 1989 and was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu...
, from 1989 to 1997). The outcome was a recommendation for the introduction of two new seats, to be reserved for women. This followed the example of
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, which had only one MP at that time, and whose Parliament was considering a bill to introduce twenty-two seats reserved for women. The Tuvaluan Ministry for Home Affairs, which has responsibility for women’s affairs, stated that steps would be taken to consider the recommendation.
["Support for introducing reserved seats into Tuvalu Parliament", Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, May 13, 2010]
2006 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on August 3, 2006. The 2006 elections marked a noticeable change, with eight of the fifteen members being defeated, including the entire cabinet of then-Prime Minister
Maatia ToafaMaatia Toafa is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, Saufatu Sopoanga, until the defeat of his Cabinet in the 2006 general election...
. He was subsequently toppled and replaced by
Apisai IelemiaApisai Ielemia is a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010.-Background:...
.
2010 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on 16 September 2010.
In the
Tuvaluan general election, 2010A parliamentary election was held in Tuvalu on 16 September 2010.Voters elected fifteen members of the Parliament to a four-year term. All candidates were independents, as there are no political parties in the country. Ten out of the fifteen incumbent members were re-elected. The remaining five...
Prime Minister Ielemia retained his seat to win re-election from his
VaitupuVaitupu is an atoll, which is part of the nation of Tuvalu.Vaitupu, the largest atoll of Tuvalu is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. The capital is Asau.-History:...
constituency. In total, ten MPs were re-elected, including Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
, while five incumbent MPs — including deputy Prime Minister
Tavau Teii-Background:Teii is from Niutao and he stood for the Parliament of Tuvalu in, and was elected from, the constituency of Niutao.-Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu:He was Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu in the Government of Apisai Ielemia...
— lost their seats.
["Tuvalu completes voting in national elections", Radio Australia, 16 September 2010.] The announcement that ten sitting MPs had been re-elected was made by Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
the following day.
["Tuvalu completes voting in national elections", Radio Australia, 16 September 2010.]
A
secret ballotThe secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
to determine the next prime minister was held on September 29, 2010.
The
Parliament of Tuvalu (
Fale i Fono, also sometimes known as the
House of Assembly) is the unicameral national legislature in
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
.
History and political culture
It was first established when Tuvalu separated from the
Gilbert and Ellice IslandsThe Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
in 1975, three years before it officially gained independence. The Parliament of Tuvalu is rare among national legislatures in that it is nonpartisan in nature. It does tend to have both a distinct government and distinct opposition, but members often cross the floor between the two groups, resulting in a number of mid-term changes of government in recent years.
Composition
The parliament has 15 members, each of which serve a four-year term. Each member is elected by popular vote one of eight island-based constituencies, seven of which elect two members, and one which elects only one member. Universal suffrage exists for those over eighteen years of age. The parliament is responsible for nominating the
Prime Minister of TuvaluThe Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is elected by Parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of Parliament can be...
from among their ranks, who serves as head of the government. The Prime Minister then nominates four other members to serve in the governing Cabinet. The members of parliament also nominate a speaker of parliament, who presides over the parliament itself.
Any member of parliament may introduce legislation into parliament, but in practice, as in most partisan systems, this occurs mainly at the behest of the governing Cabinet. Legislation undergoes first, second and third readings before being presented to the
Governor-General of TuvaluThe Governor-General of Tuvalu is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tuvalu, the nation's Head of State, and performs the duties of the Queen in her absence.-History:...
for assent, as in other
Westminster systemThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
s. One notable variation, however, means that legislation is constitutionally required to be presented to local governments (falekaupules) for review after the first reading; they may then propose amendments through their local member of parliament. Another particularly notable feature of
TuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
's Parliamentary life, shared by some other Pacific national parliaments such as that of
NauruNauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, is the frequent recourse to the vote of no confidence, which not unusually has at its origins some relatively obscure issue, sometimes linked to relations between personalities.
In May 2010, a consultation entitled “Promoting Women in Decision Making” was held in
FunafutiFunafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
, in response to the fact that Parliament had no women MPs, and had had only one throughout its history (
Naama Maheu LatasiNaama Maheu Latasi, Lady Latasi is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu.-Background and political office:She stood for election in the constituency of Nanumea in 1989 and was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu...
, from 1989 to 1997). The outcome was a recommendation for the introduction of two new seats, to be reserved for women. This followed the example of
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, which had only one MP at that time, and whose Parliament was considering a bill to introduce twenty-two seats reserved for women. The Tuvaluan Ministry for Home Affairs, which has responsibility for women’s affairs, stated that steps would be taken to consider the recommendation.
["Support for introducing reserved seats into Tuvalu Parliament", Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, May 13, 2010]
2006 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on August 3, 2006. The 2006 elections marked a noticeable change, with eight of the fifteen members being defeated, including the entire cabinet of then-Prime Minister
Maatia ToafaMaatia Toafa is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, Saufatu Sopoanga, until the defeat of his Cabinet in the 2006 general election...
. He was subsequently toppled and replaced by
Apisai IelemiaApisai Ielemia is a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010.-Background:...
.
2010 Elections
Elections for the parliament were held on 16 September 2010.
In the
Tuvaluan general election, 2010A parliamentary election was held in Tuvalu on 16 September 2010.Voters elected fifteen members of the Parliament to a four-year term. All candidates were independents, as there are no political parties in the country. Ten out of the fifteen incumbent members were re-elected. The remaining five...
Prime Minister Ielemia retained his seat to win re-election from his
VaitupuVaitupu is an atoll, which is part of the nation of Tuvalu.Vaitupu, the largest atoll of Tuvalu is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. The capital is Asau.-History:...
constituency. In total, ten MPs were re-elected, including Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
, while five incumbent MPs — including deputy Prime Minister
Tavau Teii-Background:Teii is from Niutao and he stood for the Parliament of Tuvalu in, and was elected from, the constituency of Niutao.-Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu:He was Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu in the Government of Apisai Ielemia...
— lost their seats.
["Tuvalu completes voting in national elections", Radio Australia, 16 September 2010.] The announcement that ten sitting MPs had been re-elected was made by Speaker
Kamuta LatasiRt Hon Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG, OBE, MP, PC is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010....
the following day.
["Tuvalu completes voting in national elections", Radio Australia, 16 September 2010.]
A
secret ballotThe secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
to determine the next prime minister was held on September 29, 2010.
["New Prime Minister for Tuvalu", Australian Network News, 29 September 2010] Maatia ToafaMaatia Toafa is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, Saufatu Sopoanga, until the defeat of his Cabinet in the 2006 general election...
, who had served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006 and the Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2010, won the ballot with five new members and three members of the previous government, to become Tuvalu's next prime minister.
["New Prime Minister for Tuvalu", Australian Network News, 29 September 2010] Toafa narrowly defeated
Kausea NatanoKausea Natano is a Tuvaluan politician. He currently serves as MP for Funafuti and Minister for Communications in Prime Minister Willy Telavi's Cabinet.-Political career:Natano has been elected multiple times to the Parliament of Tuvalu....
, who received seven votes in the ballot.
["New Prime Minister for Tuvalu", Australian Network News, 29 September 2010] Toafa took office on the day of his election and named
his CabinetThe Cabinet of Tuvalu is the executive branch of the government of Tuvalu.It is drawn from, and responsible to, the legislative branch, the monocameral Fale i Fono. After every legislative election, Members of Parliament elect one of their own as Prime Minister. The latter then chooses his...
almost immediately. He included a number of first time MPs who had supported his bid for the premiership - including
Enele SopoagaEnele Sosene Sopoaga is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician. His served as deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Environment and Labour in Prime Minister Maatia Toafa's short-lived government from September to December 2010...
, who became Minister for Foreign Affairs.
["New Tuvalu PM Maatia Toafa names cabinet", ABC Radio Australia, September 29, 2010] Isaia Taeia Italeli, the younger brother of Governor General
Iakopa Taeia ItaleliSir Iakoba Taeia Italeli, GCMG, is a politician and the current Governor General of Tuvalu .-Political office:From 2006 to 2010 he was Minister of Education and Sports, and Health, in the government of the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Apisai Ielemia.-Constituency background:Italeli was elected to...
, became speaker of parliament.
[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2327_E.htm]
See also