Tongan parliament elects Prime Minister for first time

Noble Lord Tu'ivakano defeated pro-democracy leader Akalisi Pohiva in a secret ballot among Tongan MPs Tuesday to become the country's first Prime Minister elected by parliament rather than appointed by the king.

Mr Tu'ivakano, a former speaker of parliament, won 14 votes and Mr Pohiva 12 in the ballot among the 26 members of the Tongan house of representatives.

King George Tupou V was informed of the result for his approval and it was then announced to a full meeting of parliament, as foreign diplomats and media representatives looked on.

The announcement was broadcast simultaneously on national radio.

Mr Tu'ivakano, the minister for education and training in the former government, replaces Feleti Seveli as prime minister. Mr Seveli was the first commoner to serve as Tongan prime minister, but did not seek re-election.

The vote follows November 25 elections that gave Tonga its first democratically-elected parliament.

Of 17 parliamentary seats contested in the election, 12 were won by candidates of Mr Pohiva's Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands and five by independents. Nine other seats are held by the country's aristocratic landowners, or nobles, who are selected by fellow nobles.

While the pro-democracy party has the largest single bloc, no group has a clear majority in parliament, so decisions will come down to votes on the floor of the house.

Tonga, a tiny nation of 100,000, has been ruled by monarchs for centuries, but its islands were only unified under a single king in 1845.

The country has moved slowly towards a more democratic political system in recent years, though many Tongans remain frustrated at the pace of the reforms and the state of the economy. The World Bank estimates up to 40% Tongans live in poverty.

After the 2006 death of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV - one of the world's longest serving monarchs - his son and successor King George Tupou V took steps to cede power. Unrest in 2007 sparked by the slowness of reform left the centre of the capital Nuku'alofa in flames.

The previous parliament had just nine elected lawmakers, with the prime minister, cabinet, and nine nobles appointed by the monarch.