2021 Tongan general election

2021 Tongan general election
17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly
Turnout	61.92%
Prime Minister before election; Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa; TPPI	Elected Prime Minister ; Siaosi Sovaleni; Independent

General elections were held in Tonga on 18 November 2021 to elect 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Quick Facts 17 of the 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly, Turnout ...

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Following the elections, four MPs were unseated for bribery.^[2]

The 2017 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (Tongan: Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa, or PTOA),^[3] and ʻAkilisi Pōhiva was re-elected as Prime Minister, defeating former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni 14 votes to 12.^[4] In September 2019 Pohiva died,^[5] and Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was elected as Prime Minister with the support of the nobles, independent MPs, and 5 former members of the DPFI.^[6]^[7] His cabinet included three nobles, who had previously been excluded under Pohiva.^[8]

In December 2020 Democratic party leader Semisi Sika submitted a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa.^[9] The motion was backed by Deputy Prime Minister Sione Vuna Fa'otusia,^[10] who subsequently resigned from Cabinet.^[9]^[11] The Legislative Assembly rejected the no-confidence motion 13-9 on 12 January 2021.^[12]

Following ʻAkilisi Pōhiva's death the PTOA fragmented, with rivalries emerging between Siaosi Pohiva and his brother-in-law Mateni Tapueluelu.^[13] In the leadup to the election this led to a formal split, with Pohiva leaving the party's board and "core team".^[14]

In the leadup to the election Infrastructure and Tourism Minister ʻAkosita Lavulavu and her husband ʻEtuate Lavulavu, who had previously served as a Minister, were both convicted of obtaining money by false pretenses^[15]^[16] and sentenced to six years in prison by the Supreme Court.^[17]^[18]

The Legislative Assembly of Tonga has up to 30 members, of whom 17 are directly elected by first-past-the-post voting from single-member constituencies. The island of Tongatapu has ten constituencies, Vavaʻu three, Haʻapai two and ʻEua and Niuatoputapu/Niuafoʻou one each.^[19] Nine seats are held by members of the nobility, who elect representatives amongst themselves.^[20] The Cabinet formed by a Prime Minister may include up to four members not elected to the Assembly, who then automatically become members of the legislature.^[20] Around 60,000 voters were eligible to vote.^[21]

Parliament was dissolved on 16 September.^[22] 75 candidates, including 12 women, registered to contest the election.^[23]^[24] One candidate, Sione Fonua, later withdrew, while a second one died, leaving 73 candidates in total.^[25] Despite a week-long lockdown due to a COVID-19 case, the election was not delayed.^[26]

Prime Minister Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa did not promote his Tonga People's Party during the campaign, and several Ministers ran as independents.^[27]

Voters elected an all-male parliament, with nine new people's representatives.^[28] The leaders of both Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (PTOA), Semisi Sika and Siaosi Pōhiva, lost their seats, as did other senior PTOA MP's.^[29] While the PTOA won majorities in most constituencies, vote-splitting between the rival factions saw them lose seats to independent candidates.^[30] Only three PTOA candidates were elected: Semisi Fakahau, Veivosa Taka and Saia Piukala.^[31] The People's Party formally retained only one seat,^[32] but may name its members after the elections.^[33]

The Electoral Commission reported that voter turnout was 62%.^[34]

More information Party, Votes ...



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands			3	–11
	Tonga People's Party			1	New
	Independents			13	+10
Nobles' representatives				9	0
Total				26	–

Total votes		38,550	–
Registered voters/turnout		62,253	61.92
Source: Matangi Tonga,^[29] Nukuʻalofa Times^[31] Talanoa ʻo Tonga^[32]