11 Jun 2020

Dalton Tagelagi voted in as new Premier of Niue

10:49 am on 11 June 2020

The new Premier of Niue is Dalton Tagelagi after he won a parliamentary vote this morning.

Niue government minister, Dalton Tagelagi.

The new Premier of Niue, Dalton Tagelagi Photo: RNZ Pacific / Jamie Tahana

Mr Tagelagi won 13 votes against seven for veteran MP O'love Jacobsen

They were the only two nominations for Premier.

Mr Tagelagi was Minister for the Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the previous government.

Mr Tagelagi represented Niue in lawn bowls at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

His father, Sam Pata Tagelagi, served as the first Speaker of the Assembly for decades from 1976.

Dalton Tagelagi replaces Sir Toke Talagi who lost his seat in last month's election, stopping him from a fifth term in office.

Earlier Hima Douglas was voted in Speaker of the House in a third round of voting.

The former diplomat, MP and broadcaster won by 11 votes to 9.

The previous two rounds were tied between him and former Speaker Togiavalu Pihigia.