Tonga will hold two by-elections after the country’s parliament accepted the resignations of its finance minister and its infrastructure and tourism minister, both convicted of bribery during the 2025 general election.
Speaker Lord Vaea confirmed that Semisi Sika, who represented Tongatapu 2, and Lata i Faingataa Tangimana, who held Niua 17, had given up their seats and cabinet posts.
What were they convicted of?
Sika was convicted of failing to declare a payment of NZ$7,000 to a dance academy, which prosecutors argued was intended to influence voters. He appealed and lost, maintaining the omission was a good faith mistake and noting that family members attended the academy.
Tangimana was convicted over donations of fish to constituents. A third member of cabinet, Lands Minister Taniela Fusimalohi, was convicted in June after giving a Starlink satellite terminal to his constituency.
| Minister | Seat | Case |
|---|---|---|
| Semisi Sika | Tongatapu 2 | Undeclared payment to a dance academy |
| Lata i Faingataa Tangimana | Niua 17 | Donation of fish to constituents |
| Taniela Fusimalohi | Lands Minister | Starlink terminal to constituency |
Why are Tongan ministers resigning?
Two Tongan cabinet ministers resigned from parliament and government in August 2026 after courts convicted them of electoral bribery relating to the 2025 general election. Semisi Sika, minister for infrastructure and tourism and member for Tongatapu 2, was convicted of failing to declare a payment of NZ$7,000 to a dance academy. Lata i Faingataa Tangimana, the finance minister and member for Niua 17, was convicted over donations of fish to constituents. A third minister, Lands Minister Taniela Fusimalohi, was convicted in June over the gift of a Starlink satellite terminal. Under Tongan law a finding of bribery generally requires a member to be unseated, and by-elections must be held between 21 and 28 days after a writ is issued by the Palace Office. The Supreme Court has held that intent and cultural context do not override the country’s election laws.
Why does giving fish count as bribery?
Gift-giving is embedded in Tongan social practice, and all three cases involved forms of provision a member might present as customary generosity: food, sponsorship of a local group, connectivity for a remote constituency.
The courts have held that intent and cultural context do not override the country’s election laws, which are strict on inducements during a campaign period. Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Latu was cleared on separate allegations for insufficient evidence.
What happens next?
The Supervisor of Elections, Samiuela Vao, said his office would proceed under the constitution. The Electoral Commission awaits a writ of election from the Palace Office, after which polling must be held between 21 and 28 days later.
There is precedent. After the 2021 election, former deputy prime minister Poasi Tei and internal affairs minister Sione Sangster Saulala were convicted on similar charges and unseated.
What it means for the government
The 2025 election produced a coalition drawn from 17 elected representatives sitting alongside nine nobles appointed under Tonga’s constitutional arrangements in the Fale Alea, the legislative assembly. Losing two seats from a chamber of that size is materially destabilising.
Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua received both resignation letters and has been holding the finance portfolio while the constitutional process runs. His own election as prime minister drew criticism from democracy campaigners over the influence hereditary nobles retain in government.
The convictions have also demonstrated that the courts will apply the electoral law to serving ministers, which in a chamber where the executive and legislature overlap closely is a significant assertion of judicial independence.
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Sources for this report
The Redline News Desk
The Redline News desk files and edits world reporting. Every story carries the sources it was built from, and corrections are published on the story itself.
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