Falesa Pitoi

Dr.
Falesa Pitoi
Minister for Education, Youth and Sport
In office
24 December 2010 – 2 August 2013
Prime MinisterWilly Telavi
Preceded byNamoliki Sualiki
Succeeded byFauoa Maani
Member of the Tuvaluan Parliament
for Nanumaga
In office
3 August 2006 – 11 December 2013
Succeeded byOtinielu Tausi
Personal details
Political partyIndependent

Dr. Falesa Pitoi is a Tuvaluan politician.

A dentist by profession, he began his career in national politics when he was elected to Parliament in the August 2006 general election as MP for Nanumaga.[1] He then served for a time as Minister for Education under Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia.[2]

He was re-elected in the September 2010 general election.[3] In December of that year, Prime Minister Maatia Toafa was ousted in a motion of no confidence. Dr. Pitoi supported Toafa's opponent, Willy Telavi, who became Prime Minister and appointed Pitoi as Minister for Education, Youth and Sport.[4][5]

In January 2013, he was taken ill while on a visit to Cuba, and was hospitalised. Although he subsequently travelled to New Zealand, by April he had not returned to Tuvalu, and was reportedly still too ill to resume his duties. His absence potentially left the government short of a workable parliamentary majority. The government had not convened Parliament since the death of Finance Minister Lotoala Metia in December 2012; with Pitoi absent, it had only six active MPs to the Opposition's seven.[6][7] He remained out of the country, reportedly recovering, in July 2013, when the government was ordered by Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli to reconvene Parliament and allow a motion of no confidence to be tabled.[8] Following Prime Minister Telavi's removal by the Governor General on 1 August in the context of a political crisis (Telavi had sought to govern without the support of Parliament), Pitoi (still outside the country) and the rest of Cabinet were voted out of office a day later by Parliament, where the opposition now had a clear majority.[9]

Foreign Affairs Minister Taukelina Finikaso said in September 2013 that the Tuvaluan Parliament was looking at a possible by-election for Pitoi's seat following his long absence.[10] In December 2013, Governor-General Iakoba Italeli declared a by-election for the Nanumaga constituency seat following a medical report on Dr Pitoi's health.[11]

  1. ^ "The Tuvalu General Election 2006", Graham Hassall, Democracy and Elections project, University of the South Pacific
  2. ^ "Tuvalu Minister of Education Visits NDHU" Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, National Dong Hwa University
  3. ^ "Tuvalu Election Results" Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Tuvalu News, 16 September 2010
  4. ^ "New Tuvalu government sworn in" Archived 4 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Radio New Zealand International, 29 December 2010
  5. ^ "Current Members (including Ministers and Private Members)". The Parliament of Tuvalu. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Tuvalu minister ill in Cuba as by-elections imperil government", Radio New Zealand International, 17 January 2013
  7. ^ "Tuvalu Opposition moves to force by-election", Radio Australia, 5 April 2013
  8. ^ "Tuvalu’s Opposition eyes top prize come July 30" Archived 27 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Islands Business, 26 July 2013
  9. ^ "Tuvalu opposition votes out government", Radio New Zealand International, 2 August 2013
  10. ^ Matau, Robert (13 September 2013). "New Tuvalu MP likely to join govt". Island Business. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Tuvalu to hold by-election in Nanumaga". Radio New Zealand International. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.