Young Vivian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Young Vivian
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Vivian at a fiafia in Hakupu, 2006
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| Premier of Niue | |
| In office 1 May 2002 – 19 June 2008 |
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| Deputy | Fisa Igilisi Pihigia |
| Preceded by | Sani Lakatani |
| Succeeded by | Toke Talagi |
| In office 12 December 1992 – 9 March 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Robert Rex |
| Succeeded by | Frank Lui |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 1990–1993 |
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| Premier | Robert Rex |
| Preceded by | Sani Lakatani |
| Succeeded by | Sani Lakatani |
| Minister of Education, Agriculture, and Economic Development | |
| In office 1969–1979 |
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| Minister of Tourism | |
| In office 1969–1975 |
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| Succeeded by | Frank Lui |
| Member of the Niue Parliament for Hakupu |
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| In office 1969 – 6 May 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Siakisoni |
| Succeeded by | Michael Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 November 1935 |
| Political party | Niue People's Action Party (until 2003) Independent (from 2003) |
| Spouse | Vaitofuola (nee Ikiua-Lupo) |
Mititaiagimene Young Vivian (born 12 November 1935) is a well-known politician and diplomat from Niue, a small island country in the Pacific Ocean. He served as the Premier of Niue, which is like the leader of the government, two times. His first time as Premier was from December 1992 to March 1993. His second time was from 2002 to 2008.
Young Vivian also worked as a Cabinet Minister many times. A Cabinet Minister is a high-ranking government official. He was in charge of areas like Education, Economic Development, Agriculture, and Finance. From 1979 to 1982, he was the Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission, an organization that helps Pacific island countries.
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Early Life and Education
Young Vivian started school on Niue. Later, he moved to New Zealand for his high school education. He studied at St George's Preparatory School and then at Wanganui Collegiate School.
After finishing school, he trained to be a teacher at Ardmore Teachers' College. He then returned to Niue and taught for almost 10 years. He also took a special course to learn how to teach English to people who speak other languages. In 1969, he came back to Niue again.
Beginning His Political Journey
Young Vivian was first chosen to be a member of the Niue Assembly in the 1969 election. The Niue Assembly is like the country's parliament. He was also made a member of the Executive Council, which helps run the government. In this role, he was in charge of Education before Niue became an independent country.
He was re-elected in 1972 and helped negotiate Niue's independence. This meant he helped work out the details for Niue to become its own country. After being re-elected in 1975, he continued as Minister for Education, Agriculture, and Economic Development.
In 1978, Young Vivian was chosen to be the Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission. He left his government job to take on this important role. He worked there from 1979 to 1982. After that, he worked for the Niuean Government, focusing on cultural matters. In 1984, he returned to the Legislative Assembly.
Leading the Opposition and First Time as Premier
Young Vivian was re-elected in 1987. He became the leader of a new political group called the Niue People's Action Party (NPAP). As the leader of the opposition, he challenged the government in 1989.
In the 1990 election, his party won most of the seats. However, there was a disagreement over who should be the leader. Young Vivian later became the Minister of Finance, Education, and Administration. He also served as acting Premier when the Premier was ill. After the Premier passed away in December 1992, Young Vivian was elected Premier. He was re-elected to the Assembly in 1993 but lost the Premiership to Frank Lui.
Time in Opposition Again
After losing the top job, Young Vivian became the leader of the opposition once more. In 1995, he worked with another politician, Sani Lakatani. Together, they caused a "deadlock" in Parliament. This meant that new laws could not be passed.
The government tried to fix this problem, but their actions were later ruled illegal. The deadlock finally ended when Young Vivian agreed to support the government's budget. This helped avoid an early election. He was re-elected without opposition in 1996.
Cabinet Role and Second Time as Premier
In the 1999 election, the Niue People's Party won a majority of seats. Young Vivian was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education.
In 2002, Young Vivian was re-elected without opposition. He was then chosen as the leader of his party. After that, he was elected Premier again. He worked to bring direct flights to Niue to help tourism. He also sought funding from the European Union for clean energy projects. He worked to get more help from New Zealand.
In January 2004, Niue was hit by Cyclone Heta. This powerful storm destroyed the capital city, Alofi, and the island's only hospital. The government faced criticism for how it handled the recovery efforts.
He was re-elected without opposition in the 2005 election and became Premier again. His government faced financial difficulties. New Zealand provided money to help, but Young Vivian's government had to cut public services. They also introduced charges for some services to balance the country's finances. He was accused of not managing the economy well, but he remained Premier. The financial problems were helped temporarily with money from China.
He was re-elected to Parliament without opposition in the 2008 elections. However, he lost the Premiership to Toke Talagi.
Later Life and Retirement
In the 2017 general election, Young Vivian lost his seat in Hakupu. He tried to get elected again in the 2020 general election but was not successful. In December 2021, he was flown to New Zealand for medical care.
Honours and Awards
In 2020, Young Vivian received the Niue Distinguished Service Cross. This is a special award given in Niue. In 2023, he was also made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award recognized his important contributions to Niue.
See also
In Spanish: Young Vivian para niños
