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Category: Kausea Natano

  • Tuvalu general election: Half of new Parliament are newcomers

    RNZ Pacific

    Eight of Tuvalu’s 16-member Parliament are newcomers following the 2024 general election which saw former Prime Minister Kausea Natano ousted.

    The country went to the polls on Friday to elect a new Parliament with 6000 people registered to cast their votes in eight constituencies in the island nation.

    There are no political parties in Tuvalu, which means that all candidates run as independents, and voters will select two lawmakers in each of the eight electorates.

    Former Prime Minister Kausea Natano failed to get enough votes to return to Parliament in the Funafuti constituency.

    Dr Puakena Boreham, the only female candidate in this year’s election, represented Nui in the 2015 and 2019 elections but failed to get the numbers this time.

    Two noticeable new MPs are former Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli Taeia, and Feleti Teo, former executive director of the Tuna Commission.

    The Commissioner of Election, Dr Tufoua Panapa, thanked everyone who took part in the 2024 general election, from his team, the voters and all the volunteers.

    Second hurdle forming coalition
    Simon Kofe told RNZ Pacific before all the votes were tallied, that he was confident that he would get back into parliament.

    “The second hurdle will be negotiating with other MPs to form a coalition to form a government,” he said.

    “Given the nature of our system here where everyone comes in as an independent, I think there are a few key issues that might influence the various groupings after the election.

    “As you probably see in the media, there is one politician in particular who has expressed interest in revisiting the relationship with Taiwan and whether or not we should be switching to China.

    “Some politicians have also expressed their view on the treaty with Australia, and there was some strong opposition on that as well, so I think those are probably two key issues that may influence the groupings after the election results come out,” Kofe said.

    The results:

    Each of Tuvalu’s eight districts elects two members of Parliament. Nukulaelae only had two candidates for that seat. The number of votes received are next to each candidate, a * denotes a newly-elected member.

    Nukulaelae

    • Seve Paeniu
    • Namoliki Sualiki Neemia

    Nanumea

    • Ampelosa Manoa Tehulu (490)
    • Tiimi Melei (296)
    • Temetiu Maliga (246)
    • Satini Tulaga Manuella (178)
    • Falasese Tupou (130)

    Nanumaga

    • Monise Tuivaka Laafai (292)
    • Hamoa Holona* (265)
    • Malofou Sopoaga (251)
    • Kitiona Tausi (167)

    Funafuti

    • Tuafafa Latasi* (351)
    • Simon Kofe (348)
    • Kausea Natano (331)
    • Iosua Samasoni (53)
    • Luke Paeniu (37)
    • Jack Mataio Taleka (9)

    Nui

    • Mckenzie Kiritome (352)
    • Sir Iakoba Italeli Taeia* (311)
    • Dr Puakena Boreham (291)

    Niutao

    • Feleti Penitala Teo* (581)
    • Saaga Talu Teafa* (499)
    • Sam Penitala Teo (172)

    Nukufetau

    • Panapasi Nelesoni* (408)
    • Enele Sopoaga (402)
    • Taimitasi Paelati (374)
    • Nikolasi Apenelu (324)

    Vaitupu

    • Paulson Panapa* (585)
    • Maina Talia* (448)
    • Nielu Meisake (420)
    • Isaia Taape (349)

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘We’re sorry,’ Pacific Forum chair tells Micronesia over SG post

    By Pita Ligaiula in Suva

    Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama used his inaugural speech as the new chair of the Pacific Islands Forum to offer an apology to the Micronesian members of the Pacific grouping who were angered by the way the Forum rejected their nominee for the Forum Secretary-General’s job.

    “I offer you my deepest apology,” said Bainimarama at the handover ceremony done virtually at the start of the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ retreat today.

    “We could have handled it better,” he added.

    All five Micronesian members of the Forum – Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau – announced the decision to withdraw from the Pacific leaders group soon after the leaders decision last February to appoint Henry Puna — former prime minister of Cook Islands — as the new Forum SG, ahead of Micronesia’s candidate, Ambassador Gerald Zakios from the Marshall Islands.

    The Micronesians had argued that it was Micronesia’s turn to nominate one of their own for the SG position, succeeding Dame Meg Taylor of Papua New Guinea.

    At the start of today’s Forum Leaders’ retreat, only Nauru’s President Lionel Aingimea was present.

    Outgoing Pacific Islands Forum chair Kausea Natano, who is Prime Minister of Tuvalu, made mention of the Micronesians in his handover address, and although he gave no clue as to whether his attempts to win back the Micronesians into the Forum had had any success, he stressed “unity and solidarity” for the Pacific regional bloc.

    Pacific Way
    He believes the Pacific Way of talanoa and dialogue as the way forward to resolving the impasse between the northern Micronesian nations and their southern Pacific neighbours.

    The dialogue should be “frank and respectful”, he said.

    Prime Minister Natano also spoke about the need for the islands of the Pacific to stay the course on climate change, that their voices ought to be “united and loud”.

    He also wanted Pacific Islands Forum unity in opposing Japan’s plans to dump contaminated nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean.

    Both Scott Morrison of Australia and Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand were at the opening of the Leaders Retreat this morning, as well as the Pacific Islands Forum’s newest member, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa.

    Prime Minister Bainimarama congratulated Prime Minister Fiame by stating that while her coming into office was “not easy,” her achievement was still a proud milestone.

    As the new Forum chair, and recalling his navigation days as a navy boat commander, Bainimarama said the Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent would be the “northern star” in charting the work of the regional body.

    Blue Pacific strategy
    The strategy is on the agenda of the leaders’ one-day retreat today together with a common position on the incoming climate change negotiations in COP26 in Scotland in October, as well as a review of a joint forum action on combatting covid-19.

    Due to the closure of international borders, all these discussions are held over zoom, although another leaders’ retreat is planned for January next year, by which time Fiji hopes its international borders would be open, and the Pacific Leaders would be able to attend the meeting in person.

    In addition to speeches of the outgoing and incoming chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, this morning’s opening of the 51st Leaders retreat was also addressed by the new Forum Secretary General Henry Puna, as well as an address via video by United States President Joe Biden.

    A video to mark the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum was also screened.

    Pita Ligaiula is a journalist with the Pacnews regional cooperative news agency.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Forum chair welcomes Biden’s ‘Blue Pacific’ climate priority for Paris pact

    By RNZ Pacific

    The chair of the Pacific Islands Forum has welcomed the re-entry of the United States to the Paris agreement over climate change.

    Within hours of his taking the oath as the 46th US President, Joe Biden issued an executive order for the US to return to the Paris Agreement.

    Forum Chair Kausea Natano, who is Tuvalu’s prime minister, said the US order as a priority was warmly appreciated in the Pacific.

    Natano said he looked forward to continued and strengthened relationships between the people of the Pacific and the US, especially on the climate crisis facing the “Blue Pacific”.

    He said the international community must use the positive development to inject greater urgency to climate action on the Paris goal of limiting global warming increase to within 1.5-degrees celsius

    “The announcement comes at a time when the world is faced with a multitude of hazards including covid-19,” Natano said.

    “Our Blue Pacific faces a climate change crisis that threatens our future prosperity and the move by President Biden and his administration to bring the US back to the Paris Agreement is warmly welcomed and appreciated.

    “We look forward to working closely with President Biden and his administration, with urgency and shared values for a safe and secure future for our great Blue Planet.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Forum chair welcomes Biden’s ‘Blue Pacific’ climate priority for Paris pact

    By RNZ Pacific

    The chair of the Pacific Islands Forum has welcomed the re-entry of the United States to the Paris agreement over climate change.

    Within hours of his taking the oath as the 46th US President, Joe Biden issued an executive order for the US to return to the Paris Agreement.

    Forum Chair Kausea Natano, who is Tuvalu’s prime minister, said the US order as a priority was warmly appreciated in the Pacific.

    Natano said he looked forward to continued and strengthened relationships between the people of the Pacific and the US, especially on the climate crisis facing the “Blue Pacific”.

    He said the international community must use the positive development to inject greater urgency to climate action on the Paris goal of limiting global warming increase to within 1.5-degrees celsius

    “The announcement comes at a time when the world is faced with a multitude of hazards including covid-19,” Natano said.

    “Our Blue Pacific faces a climate change crisis that threatens our future prosperity and the move by President Biden and his administration to bring the US back to the Paris Agreement is warmly welcomed and appreciated.

    “We look forward to working closely with President Biden and his administration, with urgency and shared values for a safe and secure future for our great Blue Planet.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.