Tu'ipelehake not re-elected in Noble's parliamentary vote [1]
Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 17:30. Updated on Sunday, December 18, 2016 - 10:34.
Tonga's 33 nobles this morning, March 16, elected their nine representatives to the Tongan parliament.
For Tongatapu the three incumbent members, noblemen, Vaha'i, Tu'ivakano and Fohe were re-elected. Vaha'i with 10 votes, Tu'ivakano with 8 and Fohe with 7.
In Ha'apai Tu'iha'angana was relected, with one new representative Tu'iha'ateiho taking the seat of Prince Tu'ipelehake, who moved to the Tongatapu electorate where he was unsuccessful against the re-elected incumbents.
There were two new noble's representatives for Vava'u, noblemen Tu'ilakepa and Veikune, who each had four votes.
The Hon. Veikune has been in and out of the House during the past years, but the Hon. Tu'ilakepa will be a new face in the House. The Tu'ilakepa's estates are Talasiu, Ofu, Okoa and Vasivasi in Vava‘u.
For 'Eua, Noble Nuku was re-elected, while Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou have a new face, Nobleman Tangipa.
The Supervisor of Election, Pita Vuki said that the nobles' election followed a different procedure to that of the general public's parliamentary election. He said that with the noble's election there were no nominations and no candidates. In the case of Tongatapu the 16 noble titles were listed and the 16 nobles cast their votes and the top three were re-elected. The five nobles who were away overseas, including the Hon. Vaea, Tuita, Ve'ehala, Tu'ipelehake, and Lasike, faxed in their votes. Hon. Fusitu‘a, was reported to be very ill and could not cast a vote or physically attend the election.
In the case of the two Niuas where the title Ma'atu is vacant, and Fusitu'a did not attend the election, only Tangipa and Fotofili were present and the solution was for them to toss a coin, Tangipa called heads and he was in.