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• Head of Government

Tonga - Head of Government

The Hon Dr Feleti Vaka’uta Sevele, Prime Minister

The Hon Dr Feleti Vaka’uta Sevele was appointed as the 14th Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga on 30 March 2006 by HM King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, becoming the first Tongan commoner to assume the post.

Dr Sevele had earlier been appointed as Acting Prime Minister on 11 February 2006 following the resignation of HRH Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata.

Dr Sevele held the post of Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industries before taking office as prime minister. He was elected as a People’s Representative to the Parliament of Tonga in 1999 and re-elected in 2002 and 2005.

He was also director of Tonga Oil Mill, director of Tonga Pacific Navigation Company and a member of the Tongan National Scholarship Committee. Dr Sevele had also served as Secretary-General of the Tonga Amateur Sports Association and the National Olympic Committee. Prior to that he was chairman of the Tongan Amateur Sports Association and the Tonga Rugby Union and was involved with the Tonga rugby union tour of New Zealand.

Dr Sevele was formerly an Asian Development Bank consultant to the

Central Planning Department, Government of Tonga; a resident consultant and adviser to the ANZ Bank; chief economist for the South Pacific Commission; chief executive and director of the Commodities Board of Tonga; and a member of the Council of the University of the South Pacific.

Dr Sevele obtained his PhD in development economics from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, under a Commonwealth scholarship. Dr Sevele also has an MA, a BSc in mathematics and a BA in economic geography from the same university.

Dr Sevele was born on 7 July 1944 in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa, Tonga.