Monarch Tupou VI Succeeded by ‘Uliti Uata Prime Minister Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō | Preceded by Viliami Tangi Spouse Neomai Pohiva | |
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Preceded by Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō Political party Human Rights and Democracy Movement
(Before 2010)
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (2010–present) Alma mater University of the South Pacific Education University of the South Pacific Party Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands Office Prime Minister of Tonga since 2014 Children Siaosi Pohiva, Po‘oi Pohiva, Hepisipa Pohiva, ʻAna Pohiva, Laucala Pohiva | ||
Samiuela 'Akilisi Pōhiva (born 7 April 1941) is a Tongan pro-democracy activist and politician. Pohiva, the leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), has served as the Prime Minister of Tonga since 2014. He is only the fourth commoner to serve as Prime Minister (after Shirley Baker in the 1880s, Siosateki Tonga in the 1890s and Feleti Sevele in the 2000s), and the first commoner to be elected to that position by Parliament rather than appointed by the King.
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Personal life
Pōhiva worked as a teacher and later studied at the University of the South Pacific before joining the Tongan Teacher Training Staff. He became active in Tonga's pro-democracy movement in the late 1970s, and in the early 1980s contributed to their monthly radio programme, "Matalafo Laukai". In 1984 he was dismissed from the civil service as punishment for his criticism of the government; he subsequently sued them successfully for unfair dismissal. He then became assistant editor of the democracy movement's monthly newsletter, Kele'a.
'Akilisi Pōhiva is married to Neomai Pōhiva.
Political career
Pōhiva is the longest-serving people's representative in the Tongan Parliament, having first been elected in 1987. His political career has been marked by constant battles with the Tongan monarchy over democracy, transparency and corruption. In 1996 he was imprisoned for contempt of Parliament on the order of the Legislative Assembly for reporting on Parliament's proceedings. He was subsequently released after the Supreme Court ruled that the imprisonment was "unlawful and unconstitutional". In 2002 he was charged with sedition over an article published in his newspaper Kele’a alleging the king had a secret fortune, but was acquitted by a jury.
On 18 January 2007 Pōhiva was arrested over his role in the 2006 Nuku'alofa riots. He was subsequently charged with sedition. Hearing of the charges has been repeatedly delayed and is now not expected to occur until August 2008.
In the 2008 election he was re-elected for an eighth term as the No 1 Tongatapu People's Representative with 11,290 votes.
In September 2010, he established the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands along with other Human Rights and Democracy Movement People's Representatives, in order to contest the 2010 elections. He was elected as People's Representative, with 62.5% of the vote in the constituency Tongatapu 1. His party secured twelve of the seventeen seats for People's Representatives (the other five going to independent candidates, while representatives of the nobility held an additional nine seats). He announced his intention to stand for the position of Prime Minister. Following constitutional reforms, this would be the first time the Prime Minister was elected by Parliament, rather than appointed by the monarch. The election for the premiership was held on 21 December, between Pōhiva and nobles' representative Lord Tuʻivakanō. Pōhiva obtained twelve votes, but was defeated by Tuʻivakanō, who was duly elected with fourteen.
Following the election and selection of a Prime Minister he accepted a position in the new Cabinet, as Minister for Health. On 13 January, however, he resigned from Cabinet, in protest against the inclusion in Cabinet of members from outside Parliament (to positions which he stated could have been entrusted to members of his party), and also to express his refusal to sign an agreement which would have prevented him from voting (in Parliament) against measures endorsed by Cabinet, based on the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility. Although there is no formal Opposition, Pōhiva was, from then on, considered the de facto opposition leader.
In December 2013, Parliamentarians for Global Action presented him with their annual Defender of Democracy Award, in recognition of his three and a half decades of campaigning for greater democracy in Tonga. He was the first Pacific Islander to receive the award.