Siaosi ʻAlokuoʻulu Wycliffe Fusituʻa explained

Siaosi ‘Alokuo’ulu Wycliffe Fusitu’a
Office2:Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Term Start2:1990
Term End2:1998
Predecessor2:Hon. Malupo
Successor2:Lord Veikune
Constituency Mp10:Niuas Nobles' constituency
Parliament10:Tongan
Term Start10:25 November 2010
Term End10:24 April 2014
Predecessor10:Hon. Tangipa
Successor10:Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu
Term Start11:14 February 1990
Term End11:10 March 1999
Predecessor11:Lord Ma'atu
Successor11:Lord Ma'atu
Term Start12:1 May 1981
Term End12:1987
Successor12:Lord Ma'atu
Birth Date:27 January 1927
Death Place:Nukuʻalofa
Spouse:'Eseta Fusitu'a

Siaosi ‘Alokuo’ulu Wycliffe Fusitu’a, styled Lord Fusitu’a (27 January 1927 – 24 April 2014) was a Tongan politician and noble. He was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga from 1990 to 1998.

Early life

Fusitu’a was born a commoner and was adopted by Tevita ʻAlokuoʻulu. He was educated at Wesley College, Auckland, the University of Auckland, and Australian National University, where he studied law.[1] He worked in the Printing Department and then for the Supreme Court of Tonga as an interpreter. In 1967 he married 'Eseta Fusitu'a. He was appointed to the noble title of Fusitu’a in 1981.

Political career

He was first elected into Parliament as the Niuas Noble Representative in the 1981 Tongan general election.[2] He lost his seat in the 1987 election to Lord Ma'atu. He was a member of the Anti-Communist League, and during the 1990 election he led the conservative, anti-democratic faction among the nobles, attempting to enlist the church to back a "church and state" campaign and encourage a member of the royal family to stand as a people's representative on Tongatapu.[3] After being elected, he was appointed Speaker, a position he held until 1998.[2] As Speaker he clashed frequently with pro-democracy People's Representatives such as ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, and was in turn targeted by them as an example of the moral bankruptcy of the government. He lost his seat at the 1999 election on a coin-toss,[4] but was re-elected in 2010.[5]

He died in Nukuʻalofa in 2014[6] and was succeeded as Lord Fusituʻa and as Niuas Noble Representative by his son Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu.[7]

Honours

National honours

Notes and References

  1. News: Tongans Honour Their Own . Canberra Times . 3 . 11 October 1984 . 29 January 2022 . National Library of Australia.
  2. Web site: “Late Lord Fusitu’a achieved four levels of God’s goodness” – Dr. Tevita Havea says . Parliament of Tonga . 5 May 2014 . 29 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220114203857/https://www.parliament.gov.to/media-centre/latest-news/latest-news-in-english/220-late-lord-fusitu-a-achieved-four-levels-of-god-s-goodness-dr-tevita-havea-says . 14 January 2022.
  3. The 1990 Election in Tonga . Hills . Rodney C. . The Contemporary Pacific . 3 . 2 . 1991 . 357-378 . 23699933 . 9 January 2022.
  4. The Democracy Movement and the 1999 Tongan Elections . Campbell . I. C. . Journal of Pacific History . 34 . 3 . 1999 . 267 . 25169449.
  5. Web site: Vaea and Tu'ilakepa to enter House in Nobles seats . Matangi Tonga . 25 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120322004852/https://matangitonga.to/2010/11/25/vaea-and-tuilakepa-enter-house-nobles-seats . 22 March 2012.
  6. Web site: Lord Fusitu'a dies . Matangi Tonga . 29 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140429191546/http://matangitonga.to/2014/04/29/lord-fusitua-dies . 29 April 2014.
  7. Web site: Lord Fusitu'a takes his father's seat in Tonga parliament . RNZ . 22 May 2014 . 29 January 2022.
  8. Web site: Royal orders presented at Palace . Matangi Tonga . 1 August 2008 . 2 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121030307/https://matangitonga.to/2008/08/01/royal-orders-presented-palace . 21 January 2021.