Pelenike Isaia
Pelenike Tekinene Isaia | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 23 September 2011 – 2 August 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Willy Telavi |
| Preceded by | Willy Telavi |
| Succeeded by | Namoliki Sualiki |
| Member of the Tuvaluan Parliament for Nui | |
| Assumed office 24 August 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Isaia Italeli |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Independent |
Pelenike Tekinene Isaia[1] is a Tuvaluan politician.
She worked initially for the Tuvalu Cooperative Society, as its branch manager in Nui.[1]
Her career in national politics began when she won the August 2011 by-election for the constituency of Nui, and thus entered Parliament. The by-election had been caused by the death of her husband, the incumbent MP and Minister for Works Isaia Italeli. Pelenike Isaia stated she would aim to continue his work, and she was the candidate endorsed by Prime Minister Willy Telavi's government. Italeli's death had deprived the Telavi government of its one seat majority in Parliament, and when Pelenike Isaia won the by-election, defeating the only other candidate (Leneuoti Maatusi) by a sixty-two vote majority, her victory secured parliamentary support for Telavi.[2][3] She was appointed Minister for Home Affairs.[4]
She is only the second woman ever to have sat in Tuvalu's Parliament, following Naama Maheu Latasi, who was an MP for Nanumea from 1989 to 1997. Isaia's election put an end to Tuvalu being one of the few countries in the world having no female parliamentarians - although the Tuvaluan national Parliament admittedly consists in only fifteen members.[5]
She was also, at the time of her election, sister-in-law to the Governor-General, Iakoba Italeli, her late husband's elder brother.[6]
On 1 August 2013, her brother-in-law the Governor-General dismissed Prime Minister Willy Telavi in the context of a political crisis (Telavi had sought to govern without the support of Parliament). The following day, the rest of Cabinet, Isaia included, was voted out of office by Parliament, where the opposition now had a clear majority.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Tuvalu’s new MP to fight for future of nation", Islands Business, September 2011
- ^ "Samoa police rule out foul play in death of Tuvalu minister". Radio New Zealand International. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Tuvalu Government set to retain power", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 24 August 2011
- ^ "Composition du gouvernement des îles Tuvalu", French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, 23 September 2011
- ^ "Women Need Support to Overcome Barriers Entering Parliament", Solomon Times, 11 May 2010
- ^ Tuvalu: 2010 general election, Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ "Tuvalu opposition votes out government", Radio New Zealand International, 2 August 2013