Prime Minister of Tuvalu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Tuvalu
State Flag of Tuvalu
Coat of Arms of Tuvalu
Incumbent Feleti Teo since 26 February 2024
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	Elected by the members of the parliament
Term length	While commanding the confidence of the majority of members of parliament. No term limits are imposed on the office.
Inaugural holder	Toaripi Lauti
Formation	1 October 1978
Salary	AU$ 40,840/US$ 26,660 annually

The prime minister of Tuvalu is the main leader of the country's government. Think of them as the chief executive who helps run the nation. In Tuvalu, the prime minister must be a member of the parliament. They are chosen by other members of parliament through a secret ballot, which means the votes are private. Tuvalu does not have political parties, so any member of parliament can be suggested for the job.

What the Prime Minister Does

The Prime Minister is the head of government, meaning they lead the daily operations of the country. They work with a group of other leaders called the Cabinet. The Cabinet helps make important decisions and carry out laws.

The Constitution of Tuvalu is like a rulebook for the country. It says that the main power of the government comes from the King or Queen, who is represented in Tuvalu by the Governor-General. However, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet are the ones who actually use this power to govern.

How the Prime Minister is Chosen

After the parliament votes, the Governor-General officially appoints the person who has the most support from the members of parliament. This person then becomes the Prime Minister.

The role of Prime Minister started when Tuvalu became an independent country in 1978. Before that, there was a similar role called the chief minister, which began in 1975.

When the Prime Minister's Job Ends

A prime minister can stop being in office in a few ways:

• They might decide to resign (step down).
• The parliament can vote them out using something called a motion of no confidence. This means most members no longer support them.
• They might lose their seat in a parliamentary election.
• If a prime minister passes away, the deputy prime minister takes over temporarily until parliament elects a new one. This has happened once in Tuvalu's history.

The Constitution of Tuvalu has clear rules about how the Prime Minister is elected and what happens if the position becomes empty. It also explains how a prime minister can be removed from office if they are unable to do their job.

Prime Ministers and Other Roles

For a while, the prime minister of Tuvalu also handled foreign affairs, acting as the foreign minister. This changed around 2010. After that, another minister in the Cabinet took on the responsibility for foreign affairs.

It's interesting to note that some former prime ministers have later become the Governor-General of Tuvalu.

Feleti Teo became the Prime Minister on February 26, 2024. He was chosen by the parliament without anyone else running against him.

List of Prime Ministers

Toaripi Lauti was the Chief Minister of the Ellice Islands from 1975 to 1978. When Tuvalu became an independent country, he became its first Prime Minister.

Prime Ministers of Tuvalu

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Term of office			Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ministry	Governor-General	Monarch
				1		Sir Toaripi Lauti (1928–2014)	1977	1 October 1978	8 September 1981				2 years, 342 days	Lauti Ministry 1st Ministry	Sir Fiatau Penitala Teo	Queen Elizabeth II
2		Tomasi Puapua (born 1938)	1981 1985	8 September 1981	16 October 1989	8 years, 38 days	First Puapua Ministry Second Puapua Ministry 2nd Ministry
								Sir Tupua Leupena
3		Bikenibeu Paeniu (born 1956)	1989 1993 (Sep)	16 October 1989	10 December 1993	4 years, 55 days	First Paeniu Ministry 3rd Ministry
								Sir Toaripi Lauti
								Sir Tomu Sione
4		Sir Kamuta Latasi (born 1936)	1993 (Nov)	10 December 1993	24 December 1996	3 years, 14 days	Latasi Ministry 4th Ministry
								Sir Tulaga Manuella
(3)		Bikenibeu Paeniu (born 1956)	1993 (Nov) 1998	24 December 1996	27 April 1999	2 years, 124 days	Second Paeniu Ministry Third Paeniu Ministry 5th Ministry
								Sir Tomasi Puapua
5		Ionatana Ionatana (1938–2000)	1998	27 April 1999	8 December 2000	1 year, 225 days	Ionatana Ministry 6th Ministry
Acting		Lagitupu Tuilimu	—	8 December 2000	24 February 2001	78 days	Tuilimu Ministry 6th Ministry (Cont.)
6		Faimalaga Luka (1940–2005)	1998	24 February 2001	14 December 2001	293 days	Luka Ministry 7th Ministry
7		Koloa Talake (1934–2008)	1998	14 December 2001	2 August 2002	231 days	Talake Ministry 8th Ministry
8		Saufatu Sopoanga (1952–2020)	2002	2 August 2002	27 August 2004	2 years, 25 days	Sopoanga Ministry 9th Ministry
								Faimalaga Luka
9		Maatia Toafa (born 1954)	2002	27 August 2004	14 August 2006	1 year, 352 days	First Toafa Ministry 10th Ministry
								Sir Filoimea Telito
10		Apisai Ielemia (1955–2018)	2006	14 August 2006	29 September 2010	4 years, 46 days	Ielemia Ministry 11th Ministry
								Sir Kamuta Latasi
								Sir Iakoba Italeli
(9)		Maatia Toafa (born 1954)	2010	29 September 2010	24 December 2010	86 days	Second Toafa Ministry 12th Ministry
11		Willy Telavi (born 1954)	2010	24 December 2010	1 August 2013	2 years, 220 days	Telavi Ministry 13th Ministry
12		Enele Sopoaga (born 1956)	2010 2015	1 August 2013	19 September 2019	6 years, 49 days	Sopoaga Ministry 14th Ministry
13		Kausea Natano (born 1957)	2019	19 September 2019	26 February 2024	4 years, 160 days	Natano Ministry 15th Ministry	Mrs. Teniku Talesi, Samuelu Teo
14		Feleti Teo (born 1962)	2024	26 February 2024	Incumbent	1 year, 156 days	Teo Ministry 16th Ministry	Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani	King Charles III

Notes

• Lagitupu Tuilimu served as acting prime minister after Ionatana passed away.
• Sir Iakoba Italeli stopped being Governor-General on August 22, 2019. He did this to run for a seat in parliament in the 2019 general election.
• Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani was appointed as Governor-General on September 29, 2021, while Kausea Natano was prime minister.
• King Charles III became the monarch on September 8, 2022, during Kausea Natano's time as prime minister.

See also

In Spanish: Primer ministro de Tuvalu para niños