Maatia Toafa

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Toafa was reelected to Parliament during the 2006 general election, but all of the members of his Cabinet were defeated. On 14 August 2006 he was succeeded as prime minister by Apisai Ielemia. [3] Toafa continued to serve as a member of the Parliament of Tuvalu as the Leader of the Opposition from 2006 until 2010.

Prime Minister of Tuvalu (2010)

Toafa was re-elected to Parliament from his Nanumea constituency in the 2010 Tuvaluan general election. [14]

A secret ballot was held on 29 September 2010, approximately one and a half weeks after the general election, to determine the country's next prime minister. [15] Incumbent Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia, who had succeeded Toafa for the office in 2006, was not returned to second term. Toafa won the ballot with eight votes to become Tuvalu's next prime minister. Toafa narrowly defeated Kausea Natano, who received the votes of seven MPs in the ballot. The election results were announced by Governor-General Iakoba Italeli and Toafa took office the same day.

On 5 October 2010 a week after his appointment as prime minister, Toafa was interviewed on Radio Australia by presenter Geraldine Coutts. Asked if the 15 member parliament had become more stable, after the election of five new MP'S Toafa replied (in reference to his new 8 member cabinet including 5 new MPS) 'Yeah, I think the idea is to get the number right, meaning turn five because 15 altogether. Yeah, once I get the number right, then things can be more stabilised'. He also talked of the challenges the country faced due to the effects of climate change citing coral bleaching, changing weather patterns, water degradation and the effects of increased water salinity upon agriculture as evidence. [16]

Upon taking office, he told Tuvalu News that his government would "work for human security ensuring the basic human needs" of the inhabitants of all nine islands and atolls, in particular by rapidly "build[ing] up the[ir] economic infrastructure". This would require partnerships with donor countries, which he would seek to expand. He would also "work aggressively on the world society to protect small countries" from the effects of climate change. [5]

On 21 December 2010, Toafa and his government were toppled by a parliamentary motion of confidence, by eight votes to seven. His Minister of Home Affairs, Willy Telavi, crossed the floor and enabled the Opposition to bring down the government. The motion was reportedly initiated due to MPs' concerns over certain aspects of the budget, in particular the prospect that the government may no longer fully fund patients' medical costs abroad. [6] With a new prime minister due to be chosen on 24 December, Toafa announced that he would not be standing for the job, but that he hoped his deputy and Foreign Affairs and Environment Minister, Enele Sopoaga, would be chosen by Parliament in his place. [17]

Historical note

In the history of independent Tuvalu, Bikenibeu Paeniu has been the only other prime minister apart from Maatia Toafa to have served a second period in that office.

Later career

Toafa was appointed to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours list, "for public and community service". [18]

See also

The Right Honourable
Maatia Toafa
OBE MP
Maatia Toafa.jpg
Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu
In office
10 April 2015 –9 September 2019
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Tuvalu
2004–2006		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Tuvalu
2010		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Finance of Tuvalu
2013-2019		Succeeded by

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References

  1. ↑ Papoutsaki, Evangelia (2008). South Pacific Islands Communication: Regional Perspectives, Local Issues. AMIC. ISBN   978-981-4136-08-2.
  2. 1 2 "New Tuvalu leader seeks stability". Radio New Zealand. 11 October 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Current Members (including Ministers and Private Members)". The Parliament of Tuvalu. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Interview with New Prime Minister of Tuvalu", Tuvalu News, 23 November 2010
  6. 1 2 "Nominations open for new Tuvalu PM", Radio New Zealand International, 22 December 2010
  7. ↑ "Enele Sopoaga Sworn-in Today as Tuvalu's New PM". Islands Business. 5 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Cabinet of Tuvalu, 2015". Fenui News. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Tahana, Jamie (10 September 2019). "Tuvalu elections: large turnover for new parliament". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "Tuvalu votes to maintain monarchy", Radio Australia, 17 June 2008
  11. ↑ "Statement by His Excellency, The Honourable MAATIA TOAFA" (PDF). UN.org. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "2005 World Summit - 60th Session of the UN General Assembly" (PDF). UN. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Taafaki, Tauaasa (2007). "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006, Tuvalu". The Contemporary Pacific. 19 (1): 276–286. doi:10.1353/cp.2007.0036. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Tuvaluan Prime Minister to be named Wednesday". Radio Australia . 27 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  16. ↑ "Tuvalu PM vows to continue climate fight". ABC Radio Australia. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  17. ↑ "Tuvalu’s deposed PM seeks majority to vote in his deputy", Radio New Zealand International, 22 December 2010
  18. ↑ The London Gazette , 30 December 2013
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