Koloa Talake Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
Office1:7th Prime Minister of Tuvalu
Term Start1:14 December 2001
Term End1:2 August 2002
Monarch1:Elizabeth II
Governor-General1:Tomasi Puapua
Predecessor1:Faimalaga Luka
Successor1:Saufatu Sopoanga
Office2:Minister of Finance of Tuvalu
Predecessor2:Alesana Seluka
Successor2:Alesana Seluka
Term Start2:1993
Term End2:1996
Birth Date:7 June 1934
Birth Place:Vaitupu, Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Death Place:Auckland, New Zealand

Koloa Fineaso Talake (7 June 1934  - 26 May 2008)[1] was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He represented the constituency of Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu from 1993. He served as Minister of Finance (1993-1996) and was the prime minister for a short period of time.[2]

Previous to his political career he was the auditor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony (1973-1975), then auditor (1976-1977) and finance secretary (1977-1978) of Tuvalu.[3]

As a member of parliament he moved the vote of no confidence that forced Prime Minister Bikenibeu Paeniu to resign in 1999.[3]

Prime Minister of Tuvalu

Talake served as the seventh Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and Foreign Minister, for nine months, 14 December 2001 – 2 August 2002, after defeating Faimalaga Luka in a vote of no confidence.[4]

Talake was defeated in elections in 2002.[5]

Significant issues during premiership

In that time, he negotiated the sale of that country's Internet domain name, .tv, to an American company in order to bring an income to his resource-poor country.

In 2002, he coordinated an effort, together with the leaders of Kiribati and Maldives to sue the governments of the United States and Australia for failing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and for their greenhouse gas emissions, which the leaders claimed, resulted in rising sea levels that would eventually flood their countries.[6] [2]

Succession and later life

Talake was not re-elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general election and was succeeded as Prime Minister of Tuvalu by Saufatu Sopoanga.[7]

Having left office in 2002, Talake relocated to Auckland, New Zealand, where his children were living.[8]

See also

References

  1. Web site: Hon Koloa Fineaso Talake 1934 - 2008 BillionGraves Record.
  2. Web site: Levine . Mark . Outside. Tuvalu Toodle-oo . 1 December 2002. 7 May 2017.
  3. News: Rulers Index. Rulers Org.. 2020 . 7 January 2021.
  4. Book: Page. Kogan. Asia and Pacific Review 2003/04. 2004 . Kogan Page Publishers . 261.
  5. Web site: Inter-Parliamentary Union. Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu) . 2002. 7 March 2013.
  6. Web site: BBC . Tiny Pacific nation takes on Australia. 4 March 2002. 17 April 2015.
  7. Web site: Tuvalu Online . Preliminary Election Results - P.M. Talake Voted Out. 26 July 2002. 17 April 2015.
  8. Web site: living on earth . Early signs: New Zealand's climate refugees. 31 March 2002. 17 April 2015.