Tuvalu - Politics

There are no political parties. The September 1993 elections resulted in a deadlock, Dr Tomasi Puapua and Bikenibeu Paeniu both receiving equal support. Puapua withdrew from the December 1993 elections and Paeniu was defeated by Kamuta Latasi, who became prime minister.

In December 1996, the government was removed from power after an unexpected vote of no confidence gained the support of seven of the 12 members of the assembly. In a subsequent secret ballot, the assembly selected Paeniu as prime minister in preference to Latasi.

In the general election of March 1998, seven assembly members were re-elected, the prime minister among them. Former Prime Minister Latasi was defeated in his Funafuti constituency.

When parliament reconvened in April 1998 the members re-elected Paeniu as prime minister by ten votes to two and he named his five-member cabinet, taking the foreign affairs brief himself and appointing Kokeiya Malua as deputy prime minister.

In April 1999 Paeniu lost a no-confidence vote of the assembly, and education and health minister Ionatana Ionatana was elected by parliament to succeed him.

Ionatana died suddenly in December 2000 and Deputy Prime Minister Lagitupu Tuilimu acted as prime minister until the assembly elected Faimalaga Luka to the post in February 2001.

In 2001 New Zealand agreed to accept an annual quota of Tuvaluans wishing to emigrate as the sea level rises, starting from 2002 and continuing for at least 30 years. In 2003 discussions were under way about emigration of Tuvaluans to Niue, where the population had declined due to emigration to New Zealand.

Koloa Talake was chosen to succeed Luka as prime minister when, in December 2001, four MPs changed their allegiance.

Following the July 2002 general election, when Talake lost his seat, Saufatu Sopoanga was elected by parliament to be prime minister. However, after the by-elections in May 2003, he no longer commanded the support of the majority of MPs, but refused to recall parliament until after October 2003 when one opposition member was appointed to cabinet and, following another by-election, one more member joined the government benches. In August 2004 Sopoanga was unable to win a vote of confidence and in October 2004 Maatia Toafa was elected prime minister.

Filoimea Telito was sworn in as governor-general in April 2005.

Eight new members were elected in the August 2006 general election, Prime Minister Toafa being the only member of his cabinet to retain their seat. Parliament subsequently elected Apisai Ielemia prime minister.