New Parline: the IPU’s Open Data Platform (beta)
Your one-stop-shop for information about national parliaments

Tonga

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Legislative Assembly

Political system Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
Monarchy
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Structure of parliament Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
Unicameral
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IPU membership Current membership status
Yes
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Data on women

empty

Basic information > About parliament

Speaker

Speaker
Lord Fakafanua (Male)
Year of birth
1985

Secretary general

Secretary general
Gloria L Guttenbeil-Pole'o (Female)
Notes Additional information about the Secretary General, in particular regarding their term.
Appointed on 28 Jan. 2013.

Members

Current number of members, by sex
Women The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
2
See historical data for this field.
Percentage of women Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
7.41% See historical data for this field.

Age

Average age of all members
Not available
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Youngest member (years) Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
29
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Youngest member
Lord Fakafanua (Male)
Oldest member (years) Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
80
Oldest member
Hon. William Clive Edwards (Male)

Reserved seats and quotas

Electoral quota for women Quotas to promote the representation of women in parliament.
No
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Elections > Election results

Candidates

Total number of candidates Total number of people who registered as candidates for election. Does not include people who stood as candidates to become "substitute members".
86
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
15
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
17.44%
Number of candidates, by sex
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
15
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
17.44%

Results

Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
25
Number of women elected
2
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
11.76%
Note on the Distribution of seats according to sex
Two women were directly elected in 2017. The new Cabinet, formed in January 2018, includes one male member who was not elected to the Legislative Assembly. As cabinet ministers also sit in parliament, the Legislative Assembly comprises a total of 28 members of whom two were women.
Number of women after election or renewal, by mode of designation
Women Directly Elected
2

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
2
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
25
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Lord Fakafanua (Male)
Date of election
18.12.2017
Elections > Historical data on women

Women's suffrage

Date of independence For countries that become independent after 1940
1970
Women’s right to vote
Right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1970
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Prior to independence, under British administration, women were given the right to vote in 1960. This right was confirmed at indepedence.
Women’s right to stand for election
Right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1970
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Stand for Election: Additional Notes on right to stand for election
Prior to independence, under British administration, women were given the right to vote and stand for election in 1960. These rights were confirmed at indepedence.
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament Year in which first woman entered parliament
1993