IFES
 

Nov. 18, 2021 Held

Tonga
Kingdom of Tonga
Election for Fale Alea (Tongan Legislative Assembly)


General Information

At Stake in this Election:        

  • 17 seats in the Tonga Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea

Government Structure: 

  • Chief of State: King TUPOU VI (since 19 March 2012) 
  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Pōhiva TU’I’ONETOA (since 8 October 2019) 
  • Assembly: Tonga possesses a unicameral Legislative Assembly with 26 seats 

Electoral System: 

  • The head of state is a hereditary position held by King TUPOU VI, who assumed the throne following the death of his brother TUPOU V on 18 March 2012. [1]
  • The Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea) is a unicameral institution consisting of 26 seats, 9 of which are indirectly elected by Tonga’s 33 noble families. [2] The remaining seats are filled by “People’s Representatives,” or parliamentarians who are directly elected from among 17 single-member constituencies using a first-past-the-post system. [3]
  • Following the elections, the newly convened Legislative Assembly votes on who will assume the office of prime minister.  

Last Election: 

  • The previous election was held on 16 November 2017. The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands won 14 of the 17 contested seats. 

Main Candidates in this Election:  

  • Party: Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI / PATOA) / Paati Temokalati ʻa e ʻOtu Motu ʻAngaʻofa  
    • Leader: Semisi SIKA 
    • Seats won in last election: 14 
  • Party: Tonga People’s Party (TPPI) / Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga  
    • Leader: Pōhiva TU’I’ONETOA 
    • Seats won in last election: New 
  • Party: Independents 
    • Leader: N/A 
    • Seats won in last election: 3 

Population and Registered Voters: 

  • Population: 105,940 (November 2021 est.) [4]
  • Registered Voters: 59,003 (2017) [5]

Gender Data: 

  • Female Population: 52,875 (November 2021 est.) [6]
  • Is Tonga a signatory to CEDAW: No [7]
  • Has Tonga ratified CEDAW: No [8]
  • Gender Quota: No [9]
  • Female Candidates in this election: 12 [10]
  • Number of Female Legislators: 2 out of 17 seats [11] 
  • Human Development Index (HDI) Position: Rank 104 at 0.725 (2020) [12]
  • Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: No data [13] 
Election Modified: Jun 21, 2024

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With Participation Rates