Feleti Sevele
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prime Minister of Tonga | |
| Assumed office 30 March 2006 | |
| Monarchs | Taufa'ahau Tupou IV George Tupou V |
| Preceded by | 'Aho'eitu 'Unuaki'otonga Tuku'aho |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 July 1944[1] Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa |
| Spouse | Ainise Sevele |
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele (born July 7, 1944) is the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Biography
Early life
Sevele was born in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa. He began his high school education at Apifoʻou College in Tonga, then went to school in Fiji at St John's College in Levuka on the island of Ovalau, and the Marist Brothers High School in Suva. He then attended St Bede's College in Christchurch, New Zealand, before going to the University of Canterbury where he graduated with a BSc in Math, a BA, an MA and a PhD in Economic Geography.
Career
Upon returning to Tonga he was employed by the Tonga Commodities Board, then as chief economist for the South Pacific Commission, and as a councilor for the University of the South Pacific. He subsequently worked as Director of Catholic Education, a consultant, and businessman.
He was first elected as one of nine People's Representatives to the Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea in the 1999 election and re-elected in subsequent elections. In march 2005 he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, becoming one of the first two elected representatives to be appointed to Cabinet. As Minister he negotiated Tonga's becoming a member of the World Trade Organization in December 2005. In early 2006 he presented an Employment Relations Bill to Cabinet, based on the Fijian Bill of the same name, as a response to the public service strike of 2005.
Prime Minister
Sevele is the country's first non-noble Prime Minister. He was appointed Acting Prime Minister after the sudden resignation of ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho (at that time commonly known as: ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata) on February 11, 2006,[2] six months after a series of pro-democracy protests that called for a lesser role in government for the royal family. Sevele's role was made permanent by King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, when he appointed Dr Sevele as the first citizen Prime Minister of Tonga on 30 March 2006.
On September 19, 2007, he was received by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacañang. He attended the Asian Development Bank's "Mobilizing Aid for Trade" conference (September 18 to 20).[3]
Following the resignation of Finance Minister Siosiua 'Utoikamanu, Sevele temporarily took over his portfolio on February 26, 2008[4] until 'Otenifi Afu'alo Matoto was appointed as Finance Minister on March 20.[5]
References
- ^ "Prime Minister - Hon Dr. Feleti Vakauta Sevele". Tongan Government. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ^ "Tonga gets first elected leader". BBC. 2006-02-13. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ "Arroyo to host lunch for Tonga PM". GMA News. 2007-09-18. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ "PM heads Finance Ministry". Matangi Tonga Online. 2008-02-26.
- ^ "King appoints new Finance Minister". Matangi Tonga Online. 2008-03-20.
External links
- Profile at Tongan Government website
- Pacific Magazine
- Matangi Tonga
- Photos of Prime Minister Sevele's trip to Los Angeles and Honolulu November 2007
