At stake in this election:

• 9 seats in the Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Lavaka ata ULUKALALA
• Assembly: Tonga has a unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea) with 30 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary N/A.
• In the Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea), 12 members are reserved ex officio to serve 3-year terms, 9 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 3-year terms and 9 members are elected by popular vote to serve 3-year terms.***

*** 9 members are elected by popular vote, 12 cabinet ministers sit ex officio, and 9 members are nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles; members serve three-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Candidates alligned with the Human Rights and Democracy Movement of Tonga*
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 7
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Independent Candidates
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

* There were 64 candidates running for election in five districts. All candidates were independent.

Last Parliamentary election:

• The last parliamentary election was held on March 7, 2002.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 100,858 (2005)
• Registered Voters: N/A (March 2005)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 50,284 (2005)

·         Is Tonga a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Tonga ratified CEDAW: No

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 0 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 100 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Tonga a signatory to CRPD: Yes (15 November 2007)

·         Has Tonga ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 15,128 (est.)