2014 Nanumaga by-election

A by-election was held in the Nanumaga constituency in Tuvalu on 14 January 2014.[1] It followed the seat being declared vacant because of the ill-health of the incumbent Opposition MP Dr. Falesa Pitoi, on health grounds.

2014 Nanumaga by-election
14 January 2014
 
Candidate Otinielu Tausi Halo Tuavai Pai Teatu
Party Independent Independent Independent
Popular vote - - -
Percentage - - -

Context

Dr. Pitoi, a dentist, had served as one of the two MPs for Nanumaga since 2006, and had been appointed Minister for Education, Youth and Sport in Prime Minister Willy Telavi's government on 24 December 2010. In January 2013, he was taken seriously ill while on an official visit to Cuba. He was hospitalised, and later travelled to New Zealand for further treatment. His prolonged absence from Parliament contributed to the Telavi government losing its parliamentary majority; Pitoi and the rest of Cabinet were voted out of office by Parliament on 2 August.[2] Though still absent from the country, Pitoi was now officially an Opposition MP to the new government led by Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga.

In December 2013, Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli declared Pitoi's seat vacant in accordance with Section 99 (2) of the Tuvalu Constitution following a medical report on his health; he had now been away from the country for eleven months. Consequently, a by-election was announced to replace him.[3] Monise Laafai retained the other Nanumaga seat, for which he had been elected in 2010.

The Sopoaga government hoped to win Pitoi's vacant seat from the Opposition, which would grant the government a two thirds majority in Parliament, and enable it in particular to elect a new Speaker, replacing Sir Kamuta Latasi, whom Sopoaga accused of being partisan.[1]

Candidates

Three candidates stood in the by-election: former Speaker, former deputy Prime Minister and former MP for Nanumaga Otinielu Tausi; Halo Tuavai, also a former Nanumaga MP;[4] and Pai Teatu.[5]

Result and consequences

The by-election for the vacancy in the Nanumaga electorate occurred on 14 January 2014.[6] Otinielu Tausi was the successful candidate.[7] He did not immediately announce whether he supported the government or opposition, but eventually opted to join Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga's parliamentary majority, providing the Prime Minister with a two thirds majority in the Parliament.[8] On 4 March 2014, Tausi was elected Speaker.[9]

Nukufetau by-election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non-partisan Otinielu Tausi
Non-partisan Halo Tuavai
Non-partisan Pai Teatu
Majority
Government gain from Opposition

2010 result
Nanumaga constituency results [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non-partisan Monise Laafai 379 41.9
Non-partisan Falesa Pitoi 296 32.7
Non-partisan Otinielu Tausi 230 25.4
Falesa Pitoi hold Swing
Monise Laafai gain from Otinielu Tausi

References
  1. "New speaker for Tuvalu in the new year?" Archived 2014-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, Islands Business, January 2014
  2. "Tuvalu opposition votes out government", Radio New Zealand International, 2 August 2013
  3. "Tuvalu to hold by-election in Nanumaga", Radio New Zealand International, 11 December 2013
  4. "Tuavai joins government", Tuvalu News, 2 September 2005
  5. "Tuvalu by-election sees former speaker win seat". Islands Business - From RNZI/ FENUI NEWS/PACNEWS. 17 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  6. Matau, Robert (January 2014). "New speaker for Tuvalu in the new year?". Islands Business. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  7. "Tuvalu by-election sees former speaker win seat". Radio New Zealand. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  8. "Former Tuvalu Speaker joins government" Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, Islands Business, 22 January 2014
  9. "Tuvalu’s new speaker" Archived 2014-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, Islands Business, 4 March 2014
  10. Cannon, Brian (16 September 2010). "Tuvalu Election Results". Tuvalu News. Tuvaluislands.com. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
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