This is a list of members of the Parliament of Tuvalu or Palamene o Tuvalu who were elected at the 2015 Tuvaluan general election[1] or as the result of by-elections during the life of the parliament.
There are no formal parties in Tuvalu. The political system is based on personal alliances and loyalties derived from clan and family connections.[2] The Parliament of Tuvalu is rare among national legislatures in that it is non-partisan in nature. It does tend to have both a distinct government and a distinct opposition.
See main article: Politics of Tuvalu and Elections and political parties in Tuvalu. The general election was held in Tuvalu on 31 March 2015.[3] [4] [5] The state of emergency created by Cyclone Pam resulted in the election being delayed twice. The election was originally scheduled for 19 March,[6] then after Cyclone Pam caused damage to the islands, the election was rescheduled.[7]
The constituencies of Niutao and Nui had contested ballots, including former members of parliament as candidates.[8] [9] On Nui the sitting members were not returned to parliament.[10] On Nuitao Vete Sakaio, the deputy-prime minister, was not elected; the election was otherwise a good result for the government of Enele Sopoaga,[11] who expects to have the support of 11 members of parliament.[12] Enele Sopoaga was sworn in as prime minister and appointed the ministers to the cabinet on 10 April.[13] [14] [15]
Members elected for the first time at the 2015 general election are noted with *
| Name | National party | Constituency |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The High Court declared that Ielemia was not qualified to be a member of parliament. | ||||
| Isaia Vaipuna Taape * | Elected at the Vaitupu by-election. | |||
| Otinielu Tausi | Elected Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu. | |||
| Sir Kamuta Latasi resigned as MP on 17 October 2018. | ||||
| Simon Kofe * | Kofe was elected at the Funafuti by-election on 20 November 2018. | |||
| Samuelu Teo * | ||||
| Elisala Pita | Elected unopposed | |||
| Elected unopposed | ||||
| Elected unopposed | ||||
| Mackenzie Kiritome * | ||||
| Puakena Boreham * | ||||
Apisai Ielemia was elected to represent Vaitupu in the Tuvaluan general election, 2015. On 5 October 2016 Chief Justice Sweeney of the High Court of Tuvalu declared that Ielemia's parliamentary seat was vacant as he was no longer qualified to be a member of parliament, as the consequence of the short time the opposition MP served time in jail following his conviction on 6 May 2016 in the Magistrate's Court of charges of abuse of office during the final year of his term as Prime Minister (August 2006 to September 2010).[16]
The Vaitupu by-election was held on 17 July 2017. Isaia Vaipuna Taape was elected with about half the 1,100 votes, 41 votes ahead of Melton Paka Tauetia.[17] Taape was sworn in as a member of parliament for Vaitupu on Wednesday 16 August 2017.[18]
Sir Kamuta Latasi resigned as MP on 17 October 2018. A by-election was held on 20 November 2018, with Simon Kofe, a former senior magistrate, being elected.[19]