Otinielu Tausi

The Right Honourable
Otinielu Tauteleimalae Tausi
Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu
In office
10 December 1993 – 27 April 1999
MonarchElizabeth II
Governors‑GeneralTomu Sione
Tulaga Manuella
Tomasi Puapua
Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu
In office
2 August 2002 – 14 August 2006
Prime MinisterSaufatu Sopoanga
Maatia Toafa
Preceded byFaimalaga Luka
Succeeded byKamuta Latasi
In office
3 March 2014 – 9 September 2019
Prime MinisterEnele Sopoaga
Preceded byKamuta Latasi
Succeeded bySamuelu Teo

Otinielu Tauteleimalae Tausi is a politician from Tuvalu for the constituency of Nanumanga. He served as the speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 2003 until 2006, then again from March 2014 onward, and has also been the deputy prime minister of Tuvalu.

Following the general election on 25 November 1993 the subsequent parliament elected Kamuta Latasi as prime minister on 10 December 1993. Tausi was the deputy prime minister in the government of Kamuta Latasi (December 1993 to December 1996); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Natural Resources and also the Home Affairs and Rural Development in the 2nd government of Bikenibeu Paeniu (1996 to 1998);[1] and after the 1998 Tuvaluan general election he moved to the Ministry of Works, Energy and Communications in the 3rd government of Paeniu.[1]

He was appointed the speaker of the parliament from 2003 to 2006 during the governments of Saufatu Sopoanga and Maatia Toafa.[2]

He was not re-elected in the 2010 general election. Dr Falesa Pitoi, who was elected, became ill and was unable to attend parliament.[3] In late 2013, following an assessment of Dr Pitoi's health, the governor-general declared a vacancy for the constituency of Nanumanga.[4] The polling date for the by-election occurred on 14 January 2014.[5] Otinielu Tausi was the successful candidate.[6] Following his election, he chose to join the parliamentary majority of prime minister Enele Sopoaga. Tausi was elected as speaker on 3 March 2014 to replace, Sir Kamuta Latasi.[7][8] He was re-elected as the speaker following the 2015 Tuvaluan general election.[9]

He was not re-elected in the 2019 general election.[10]

  1. ^ a b "Paeniu Re-Elected Tuvalu Prime Minister". Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i at Manoa /PACNEWS/tuvaluislands.com. 8 April 1998. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  2. ^ Taafaki, Tauaasa (2007). "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006, Tuvalu". The Contemporary Pacific. 19 (1): 276–286. doi:10.1353/cp.2007.0036. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Enele Sopoaga Sworn-in Today as Tuvalu's New PM". Islands Business. 5 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Tuvalu to hold by-election in Nanumaga". Radio New Zealand International. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  5. ^ Matau, Robert (January 2014). "New speaker for Tuvalu in the new year?". Islands Business. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Tuvalu by-election sees former speaker win seat". Radio New Zealand. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  7. ^ Matau, Robert (4 March 2014). "Tuvalu's new speaker". Islands Business. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Tuvalu PM says ousted speaker misinterpreted constitution". Radio New Zealand International. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  10. ^ Tahana, Jamie (10 September 2019). "Tuvalu elections: large turnover for new parliament". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 10 September 2019.