Lord Tangi, a Life Peer has been appointed by HM King Tupou VI as Interim Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, effective from November 17.

A chief surgeon specialist at Vaiola Hospital, Lord Tangi, a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, will oversee the process of electing a Prime Minister, following the declaration of the General Election results on November 16.

But in order for this process to start, the Electoral Commission must return to the King the Writs of Election, to be done on or before November 30.

It is required that within 10-days following the return of the writs of election, the Interim Speaker will invite elected representatives to submit nominations for the Prime Minister.

Nominations shall be submitted to the Interim Speaker within 14-days from the date the writs are returned. He will then call a meeting of the elected representatives to elect the Prime Minister Designate, in a secret ballot.

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be elected by the MPs at the same time.

Parliament Office now waits on the Electoral Commission’s Return of the Writs to the King.