Nuku’alofa July 2024. The Hon Consul General of the Kingdom of Tonga to Portugal, Anthony Bailey, paid a courtesy visit on the Speaker of the Tongan parliament, Lord Fakafanua at his office at the Legislative Assembly in Nuku’alofa.
The courtesy visit was a very friendly and cordial and the Speaker and Consul-General explored forging closer ties between the Tongan and Portuguese parliaments. 2025 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Tongan Constitution. The Hon Consul General extended an invitation to visit Portugal during 2025.
The Tongan Parliament, known as the Legislative Assembly, was established on 16 September 1875, during the reign of His Majesty King George Tupou I. This inaugural session was convened to discuss the newly drafted constitution, which drew inspiration from the earlier Fakataha, a council of chiefs that advised the monarch. The 1875 Constitution marked a significant transition, formalising a parliamentary system and guaranteeing civil liberties, thereby laying the foundation for Tonga’s modern governance.
Today the Tongan Parliament consists of 26 members:
17 People’s Representatives – elected by the citizens of Tonga in a general election.
9 Nobles’ Representatives – elected by Tonga’s 33 hereditary nobles.
Elections are held every four years and the Speaker is elected by the members of parliament at the first meeting following a general election. The Prime Minister is chosen after the election by the elected members and then formally appointed as Head of Government by The King of Tonga.
Lord Fakafanua was first elected to the position of Speaker on 19 July 2012, serving until 29 December 2014. He was re-elected as Speaker in December 2017 and has remained in this position since then.
The original Parliament House in Nukuʻalofa was severely damaged and destroyed by Cyclone Gita in February 2018 since when the Tongan Parliament has been operating temporarily from the Tongan National Centre complex in Tofoa. A new Parliament building is under construction at Lakalaka-‘i-monū in Talangaholo, Tufumahina Royal estate, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on 1 September 2023.
For more information on Tongan democracy please visit the official website of the Tongan Parliament: www.parliament.gov.to
