'Aho'eitu 'Unuaki'otonga Tuku'aho

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ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho
Hereditary Crown Prince of Tonga
Born 12 July 1959 (1959-07-12) (age 48)
Consort Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho (Vaea)
Issue ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho
Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho
Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho
Royal House Tupou
Royal anthem Ko e fasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo e ʻOtu Tonga
Father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Mother Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe

Prince ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho (born 12 July 1959), is the younger brother of King George Tupou V of Tonga and officially confirmed by the latter on 27 September 2006 as the Heir Presumptive to the Tongan throne.[1]

Contents

[edit] Life

He was born the third son and youngest child of the late King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. He started his career in the military, joining the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982 and becoming a Lieutenant-Commander in 1987. From 1990 to 1995 he commanded the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA Pangai and his time in charge included peacekeeping operations in Bougainville.

In 1998 he ended his military career to become part of the government, first as the defence minister and the foreign minister at the same time, from October 1998 until August 2004. He took over these posts from his elder brother Siaosi Tupou V, at that time still the crown prince and as such known as Tupoutoʻa (see below). Soon he was appointed on 3 January 2000, as the prime minister, a function he kept until his sudden resignation on 11 February 2006, for which the reason has never become clear, but was most likely due to the unrest in the country since mid-2005, a series of pro-democracy protests calling for a lesser role for the royal family in government. His appointed successor, Feleti Sevele, is Tonga's first prime minister who is not a hereditary estate holder or a member of the aristocracy (made of 33 noble titles).

ʻAhoʻeitu is married with a daughter of the high chief Vaea, Nanasipauʻu and the couple have 3 children:

  • ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho
  • Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho (also written as Jiaoji ... Konftantin ...; it is not known whether this is an error or intended. It would make sense if it were ... Konſtantin ... (with the old long ess), but this character is unknown in Tongan, and as such not recognised (at least by any of the Tongan references))
  • Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho

[edit] Name and titles

It is customary in Tongan culture that princes get a traditional chiefly title, by which they then are commonly known (and no longer by their baptised name). As such for many years, until his nomination as heir apparent, ʻAhoʻeitu was known by either one or all three of the titles which were bestowed on him over the time: Lavaka from Pea, Ata from Kolovai and ʻAtatā, and ʻUlukālala from Vavaʻu. These titles may be used in any order, (the one belonging to the area from which the speaker is coming usually first). Nevertheless the sequences Lavaka Ata ʻUlukālala and ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata were most common.

Since his nomination as heir apparent, he got the traditional title of Tupoutoʻa, reserved for crown princes, which his older brother (the second) had to give up because he married a commoner, while two of his previous titles went to his sons. As such he is currently known as Tupoutoʻa Lavaka. His oldest son, Siaosi, is to be addressed by the prestigious title of ʻUlukālala, while his second son, Viliami, was bestowed with Ata.

Tupoutoʻa-Lavaka (centre) uncombed, unshaven and in mourning dress for his recently deceased father, king Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, flanked by his two sons, the new chiefs ʻUlukālala (left) and Ata (right)
Tupoutoʻa-Lavaka (centre) uncombed, unshaven and in mourning dress for his recently deceased father, king Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, flanked by his two sons, the new chiefs ʻUlukālala (left) and Ata (right)

Since his resignation from politics ʻAhoʻeitu lives a quite secluded life, barely, if any at all, coming into the limelights or even touching the newspapers.

Tonga

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Politics and government of
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[edit] Career highlights

  • 2006 - Resigns unexpectedly as Prime Minister and from his other cabinet posts.
  • 2004 - Minister of Civil Aviation; Minister responsible for Communications; Minister of Defence; Minister of Marine and Ports; Minister of Works and Disaster Relief Activities
  • 2001 - Minister of Civil Aviation & Minister of Communications
  • 2000 - Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Marine and Ports
  • 1998 - Minister for Foreign Affairs & Defence
  • 1991-1995 - Commander of the Navy, Tonga Defence Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence

[edit] Education

  • 1998 - Master of Arts in International Relations, Bond University, Queensland, Australia
  • 1997 - Masters in Defence Studies, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • 1995 - Graduate Diploma of Strategic Studies, Australian Joint Services Staff College, Australia
  • 1988 - Diploma in Strategic Studies, United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
  • 1977 - GCE 'A' Level, The Leys School, Cambridge, UK

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/royalty/tupoutoa_lavaka270906.shtml

[edit] See also

Preceded by
Vaea
Prime Minister of Tonga
2000–2006
Succeeded by
Feleti Sevele

[edit] External links