INCUMBENTS DOMINATE TONGA GENERAL ELECTIONS

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i

INCUMBENTS DOMINATE TONGA GENERAL ELECTIONS
Pro-democracy activist Pohiva gets most votes

NUKU΄ALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, April 24, 2008) - After taking an early lead, Tongatapu’s three incumbent People’s Representatives have roared ahead of the competition in today’s general election, re-establishing themselves with clear popular support in the Tongan Legislature.

‘Akilisi Pohiva who polled an impressive 11,290 votes tonight, emerges with more support than he had three years ago when he captured 11,225 votes in the 2005 general election.

The Tongatapu No. 2 PR incumbent, ‘Isileli Pulu, although losing around 13 percent of his support, managed to retain his seat with 7,048 votes, still ahead of Clive Edwards, but not by much.

Most upwardly mobile, was the Tongatapu No. 3 PR, Clive Edwards, with 6697 votes, realising a 22.7 percent gain on the 5,459 votes that marked his By-election entry to the Tongtapu No. 3 PR seat in May 2005.

Newcomer, Sangstar Saulala of Tofoa with 5,451 votes couldn’t match the success of Edwards but the former television personality clocked up more votes than many first time contenders have done in the past.

Other first timers ‘Inoke Hu’akau and Sione Fonua, along with Semisi Tapueluelu have not reached the 3000 mark, while the top woman contender Mele ‘Amanaki scraped-up half that number.

There were 150 polling stations from throughout Tonga to be counted, tonight, and while most of the Tongatapu results are in, the final tallies still have to be officially confirmed by the Registrar of Electors, who will also resolve the discrepancies between the total figures announced and the figures read out for individual polling stations on Radio Tonga tonight.

In Ha΄apai, with results now in from most polling stations the incumbent ΄Uliti Uata, of Ha΄ano, has comfortably retained his Ha΄apai No. 1 People’s Representative seat with a 2500 votes.

While a former parliamentarian, Sione Teisina Fuko, Ha΄ano (1377) has taken the Ha'apai No. 2 PR seat from the incumbent ΄Osai Latu, of Pangai, (1035). A closer contender was Mo΄ale Finau, of Hihifo, (1234).

Uata who polled 2701 votes in 2005 has held his ground, with his strongest support coming from Ha΄apai voters who reside in Tongatapu giving him 1188 of his total poll in the preliminary results.

In the two Niuas, Lepolo Mahe Taunisila, of Hihifo/Niuatoputapu, has dropped in the polls well behind new comer, Sione Mafi ‘Iloa, of Vaipoa, Niuatoputapu who has taken the seat with 462 votes.

Lepolo who was the only woman among the nine People’s Representatives in the last Assembly after winning a by-election, dropped into third place today with 236 votes.

Meanwhile, Sione Peauafi Haukinima, who won the 2005 election with 920 votes and rose to join the ranks of cabinet ministers, failed to regain his popularity and polled only 352 this time.

The tiny islands of Niuafo’ou and Niuatoputapu have small populations and the largest number of votes come from Niua’s people living in Tongatapu.

In ‘Eua the incumbent People’s Representative Sunia Fili of ‘Ohonua has been returned with a comfortable lead over his nearest contender, even though his supporters dropped from the 1,360 votes he won in 2005.

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