19 Sep 2019

Kausea Natano new PM of Tuvalu; Sopoaga ousted

11:01 am on 19 September 2019

Tuvalu's Parliament has elected a new prime minister, ending the six-year premiership of Enele Sopoaga.

Tuvalu's Parliament building

Tuvalu's Parliament met this morning to elect a new government. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Jamie Tahana

Kausea Natano was this morning voted in by 10 of the country's 16 MPs to form a new government.

Mr Natano, a long-time MP from Funafuti, had been put forward as a candidate by a bloc of MPs who had moved against Mr Sopoaga earlier this year.

The country of 11,000 people went to the polls last week to vote for a new 16-member Parliament.

Seven of the members are first-timers.

The MP for Niutao Samuelu Teo, son of the country's first governor-general Sir Fiatau Teo, has been nominated as the new Speaker of Parliament. That appointment will be made tomorrow.

Enele Sopoaga

Enele Sopoaga Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Jamie Tahana

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