Cabinet of Tuvalu

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The Cabinet of Tuvalu is the executive branch of the government of Tuvalu.

It is drawn from, and responsible to, the legislative branch, the monocameral Palamene o Tuvalu. After every legislative election, Members of Parliament (MPs) elect one of their own as Prime Minister. The latter then chooses his ministers among the MPs, to form a Cabinet. (Officially, ministers are appointed by the monarch, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister.) Initially, the Constitution provided that the number of members of Cabinet (excluding the Prime Minister) must not be higher than one third of the number of Members of Parliament. This, however, was amended by the Constitution of Tuvalu (Amendment) Act 2007, which provides that up to half of the Members of Parliament may be appointed to Cabinet (in addition to the Prime Minister). There are currently 15 MPs.^[1][2][3]

As there are no political parties in Tuvalu, and MPs are independent members representing the interest of their constituency, the Prime Minister is traditionally careful to appoint MPs from different parts of the country as his Cabinet members.^[2]

The Constitution states that the Cabinet is responsible to Parliament. The latter may dismiss it through a vote of no confidence.^[1]

Current Cabinet

On 1 August 2013, Governor-General of Tuvalu Sir Iakoba Italeli made an unprecedented use of his reserve powers in removing Prime Minister Willy Telavi from office. Telavi had lacked a parliamentary majority since December 2012, and had long delayed any sitting of Parliament. On 31 July, his ally Speaker Kamuta Latasi had prevented the Opposition from tabling a motion of no confidence in the Telavi government, and had suspended Parliament's sitting. This led Italeli to intervene, removing Telavi from power and appointing Opposition Leader Enele Sopoaga as interim Prime Minister.^[4] On 4 August 2013, Sopoaga won a ballot to elect a new prime minister by 8 votes to 5.^[5] He was sworn in and appointed his ministers to the cabinet a day later.^[5]

Former Cabinets

Telavi Cabinet (2010–13)

In December 2010, Willy Telavi, Minister for Home Affairs in the Toafa Cabinet, crossed the floor, joined the Opposition and enabled it to bring down the government through a motion of no confidence, carrying it by eight votes to seven.^[6] On 24 December, Telavi was elected to be the new Prime Minister, defeating Environment Minister Enele Sopoaga (who was supported by Maatia Toafa) by another 8-7 vote.^[7]

Telavi appointed his Cabinet on that same day, Christmas Eve.^[8][9]

Isaia Italeli, Minister for Works and Natural Resources, died suddenly on 19 July 2011, while attending a regional meeting in Apia, Samoa.^[12] In August, his widow, Pelenike Isaia, was elected to his seat in Parliament in a by-election in the constituency of Nui, thereby saving the government's parliamentary majority. She was subsequently appointed to Cabinet - not as Minister for Works, but as Minister for Home Affairs. She is the second woman in Parliament, and in Cabinet, in Tuvalu's history.^[10]

On 21 December 2012, Finance Minister Lotoala Metia died in turn, in hospital, of unspecified causes.^[13] The by-election caused by his death would decide the future of the Telavi government, reduced by his death (once again) to a parity of seven seats apiece with the Opposition in Parliament.^[14] The government succeeded in postponing it until 28 June, whereupon it was won by Opposition candidate Elisala Pita, with two thirds of the vote.^[15]

On 30 July 2013, as the government was about to face a motion of no confidence, Health Minister Taom Tanukale unexpectedly resigned from Parliament (and thus also from the government) altogether. With Metia dead, Education Minister Falesa Pitoi ill and outside the country since December 2012, and Tanukale having resigned, this left Telavi with only three active government ministers other than himself: Deputy Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Foreign Affairs Minister Apisai Ielemia, and Home Affairs Minister Pelenike Isaia; he also had the support of the Speaker. (There were no government backbenchers.)^[16] The following day, the reason for Tanukale's resignation became apparent. The Speaker, Kamuta Latasi, rejected the Opposition's attempt to table a motion of no confidence, on the grounds that there was now a vacant seat in Parliament. Latasi adjourned Parliament, and ruled that it would not reconvene until a by-election had been held - thus prolonging Telavi's minority government once more.^[17] However, a day later on 1 August 2013, the Governor-General and head of state, Sir Iakoba Italeli, sent out a proclamation removing Telavi from office as Prime Minister, and appointing Opposition Leader Enele Sopoaga as interim Prime Minister.^[4] Telavi had reportedly announced his intention of removing Italeli as Governeor-General. Opposition spokesman Taukelina Finikaso praised Italeli for having "uph[e]ld the constitution", since Telavi had lacked a parliamentary majority with which to govern.^[4]

His cabinet lasted officially until 2 August 2013, when it was formally voted out of office by the opposition.^[18]

Toafa Cabinet (2010)

This short-lived Cabinet was appointed by Prime Minister Maatia Toafa on 29 September 2010, following the general election on 16 September. It included a number of first time MPs, who had supported Toafa in his bid for the premiership. Sopoaga's appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs was described as a clear sign of the importance the government placed on climate change issues within its foreign policy.^[19][20]

Ielemia Cabinet (2006–10)

Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia (2006–10) chose the following as his Cabinet:^[9]

Toafa Cabinet (2004–06)

to be added

Sopoanga Cabinet (2002–04)

to be added

Talake Cabinet (2001–02)

Koloa Talake became Prime Minister on 14 December 2001, after his predecessor Faimalaga Luka had been ousted by Parliament in a motion of no confidence. This was Talake's Cabinet just prior to the July 2002 general election, in which Talake lost his seat in Parliament:^[22]

References