2011 Nui by-election

A by-election was held in the Nui constituency in Tuvalu on 24 August 2011.[1] It was triggered by the death of the incumbent, MP Isaia Italeli, the Minister for Works, who died quite suddenly in late July while in Samoa on government business. Although there are no political parties in Tuvalu, Members of Parliament align themselves with the government or with the Opposition, and Italeli's death had resulted in Prime Minister Willy Telavi's government losing its one-seat majority in Parliament. The by-election was thus highly important to the government's survival.[2][3]

2011 Nui by-election
24 August 2011
 
Candidate Pelenike Isaia Leneuoti Maatusi
Party Independent Independent
Popular vote 336 274
Percentage 55.08% 44.92%

Nui is a two-seat constituency, and in the 2010 general election it had returned Isaia Italeli and Taom Tanukale with 24.6% and 23% of the vote respectively, ahead of three other candidates.[4]

For the by-election, only one seat would be provided for, Tanukale retaining the other. There were only two candidates: Pelenike Isaia, Italeli's widow, who was the candidate supported by Telavi's government; and Leneuoti Maatusi, who had stood unsuccessfully during the general election. Pelenike Isaia was elected with a 62-vote majority, by 336 votes to 274. She declared that she hoped to accomplish what her husband had set out to do, and added that she would be supporting Telavi's government.[3]

Her election made history, as she became only the second woman ever to sit in Tuvalu's Parliament, following Naama Maheu Latasi from 1989 to 1997.[5]

Main articles: Politics of Tuvalu and List of by-elections in Tuvalu

Result
Nui by-election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Pelenike Isaia 336 55.1%
Independent Leneuoti Maatusi 274 44.9%
Majority 62 10.1%
Pro-government independent hold Swing n/a

2010 result
2010 general election: Results for Nui
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Isaia Italeli 263 24.6
Independent Taom Tanukale 246 23
Independent Seluka Seluka 203 19
Independent Iopu Iupasi 200 18.7
Independent Leneuoti Maatusi 159 14.8

References
  1. "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  2. "Samoa police rule out foul play in death of Tuvalu minister". Radio New Zealand International. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  3. "Tuvalu PM to remain in power", ABC Radio Australia (audio), 25 August 2011
  4. Tuvalu Election Results, 2010 general election, Tuvalu News
  5. "Women Need Support to Overcome Barriers Entering Parliament", Solomon Times, 11 May 2010
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