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Sione Sangster Saulala

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Sangster Saulala
Sangster Saulala in 2014
Minister for Internal Affairs
In office
28 December 2021 – 10 August 2022
Prime MinisterSiaosi Sovaleni
Preceded byVatau Hui
Succeeded byʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea
Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries
In office
13 July 2012 – 27 November 2014
Prime MinisterLord Tuʻivakanō
Preceded byLord Vaea
Succeeded bySemisi Fakahau
Member of the Tongan Parliament
for Tongatapu 7
In office
18 November 2021 – 10 August 2022
Preceded bySione Vuna Fa'otusia
Succeeded byPaula Piukala
In office
26 November 2010 – 27 November 2014
Preceded bynone (constituency established)
Succeeded bySione Vuna Fa'otusia
Personal details
Born (1974-04-09) 9 April 1974 (age 50)
Political partyDemocratic Party of the Friendly Islands

Sione Sangster Saulala (born 9 April 1974[1]) is a Tongan politician, broadcaster, and Cabinet Minister. He was a member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands early in his political career.

Personal background

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Politics and Business Management from the University of the South Pacific, and a Diploma in Education from the Tonga Teaching Training College.[1]

Saulala is the manager of the Oceania Broadcasting Network and editor of the Tonga Star. In 2003, he was one of five people prosecuted for contempt of court for a television broadcast discussion the government's suppression of the Times of Tonga newspaper.[2] In 2007 he was charged with sedition and riotous assembly over the 2006 Nuku'alofa riots,[3] but the charges were later dismissed.[4]

In 2007 Saulala served as chair of the Tonga Rugby Union.[5] He was re-elected in 2009 but his election was disputed.[5][6]

Political career

He contested the 2005 elections, standing in Vava'u, and the 2008 elections, standing in Tongatapu,[7] but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the seat of Tongatapu 7 in the 2010 elections.[8]

In October 2011, he introduced a controversial Arms and Ammunitions (Amendment) Bill to Parliament as a private member's bill. The aim of the bill was to reduce the maximum sentence for unlicensed possession, use or carrying of a firearm, from five years to one year and/or to a fine. Saulala explained that he was introducing the bill so as to "rationalise" and "humanise" the Arms and Ammunition Act 1968, at the request of his constituents who owned and used small firearms "for the familiar chores of shooting pigs and shooting chickens". The leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, MP ʻAkilisi Pohiva, expressed surprise at the bill being submitted by a member of his party without the party caucus having been at all consulted. He expressed the view that, had it been discussed by the party, it would probably have been rejected without ever reaching the floor of the Assembly. Lord Tuʻihaʻateiho, a representative of the nobility from Haʻapai, was quoted by the Taimi Media Network as pointing out that, under the amendment, persons convicted of unlicensed possession of firearms would no longer lose the right to hold government office, including a seat in Parliament. The TMN argued that "therein lay the real reason for the Bill", as two representatives of the nobility (Lord Tuʻilakepa, and Lord Tuʻihaʻateiho himself[9] in Parliament were awaiting trial on precisely that charge.[10]

On 5 July 2012 Saulala joined the cabinet of Lord Tuʻivakanō as Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries, but quit the day after he was appointed.[11] A week later, he returned to the position.[12]

He was not re-elected in the 2014 Tongan general election. He regained his seat in the 2021 election.[13] On 28 December 2021 he was appointed to the Cabinet of Siaosi Sovaleni as Minister of Internal Affairs.[14] On 2 May 2022 he was convicted of two counts of bribery in an election petition and his election was declared void.[15][16] The conviction was stayed pending appeal on 26 May 2022.[17] On 9 August 2022 his appeal was dismissed, and his election confirmed as void.[18][19] He was formally unseated by Parliament on 10 August.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Sione Sangster Saulala" Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, Parliament of Tonga
  2. ^ "Five people in Tonga charged with contempt of court". RNZ. 2 April 2003. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. ^ "TONGA RUGBY CHAIRMAN CHARGED IN NOVEMBER RIOTS". Pacific Islands Report. 3 January 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Tonga's judiciary described as independent". RNZ. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b "New appointment to Tonga's Rugby Union Board challenged in court". Radio New Zealand International. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Tonga rugby dispute engulfs PM". RNZ. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Two candidates running in Tonga's election in April appear in court". RNZ. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  8. ^ "First election results". MantangiTonga. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  9. ^ "Tonga democrats hope King will veto bill reducing illegal gun penalties". RNZ. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Democracy at Work? Part II" Archived 2011-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, Lopeti Senituli, Taimi Media Network, 17 November 2011
  11. ^ "Saulala quits Tonga government a day after appointment". RNZ. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Tonga opposition MP Saulala becomes government minister". RNZ. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps". Matangi Tonga. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  14. ^ "PM names new government". Matangi Tonga. 29 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Saulala 'commits bribery', court says : another Tongan MP loses seat in election petitions". Kaniva Tonga. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Court finds Sangster Saulala committed bribery, Tongatapu no. 7 PR election void". Matangi Tonga. 2 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Convicted Tongan MPs given stay by appeals". RNZ. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Appeals dismissed, three Cabinet Ministers elections void". Matangi Tonga. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Tonga court dismisses three Cabinet Ministers' electoral fraud appeals; upholds former PM's appeal". Kaniva Tonga. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Three Cabinet Ministers unseated". Matangi Tonga. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
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