2013 Nui by-election

The Nui by-election was held on 10 September 2013. Leneuoti Maatusi was declared the winner, polling 297 of the 778 registered voters. Matusi has been a civil servant and served as the Secretary of the Nui Falekaupule. He beat Palemene Anelu, a recent graduate of the University of the South Pacific, who received 206 votes and Taom Tanukale, who received 160 votes.[1] Nui is a two-seat constituency, and in the 2010 general election it had returned Isaia Italeli and Taom Tanukale with 24.6% and 23% of the vote respectively, ahead of three other candidates.[3]

The second member of parliament from Nui is Pelenike Isaia, who was elected following the death of her husband Isaia Italeli, in the 2011 Nui by-election.<[4]

Although there are no political parties in Tuvalu, Members of Parliament align themselves with the government or with the Opposition. A constitutional crisis developed in 2013 when Willy Telavi, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, refused to recall Parliament following the 2013 Nukufetau by-election. Tuvalu's opposition then requested the Governor-General Iakoba Italeli to intervene against the Prime Minister's decision not to recall Parliament.[5] On 3 July 2013 the Governor-General exercised his reserve powers in ordering Parliament to convene.[6] When the Parliament met on 30 July, the Speaker (Kamuta Latasi) refused to allow a debate on a no-confidence motion in the government of Willy Telavi. Taom Tanukale, the Health Minister then resigned from Parliament (and thus also from the government).[2] This resignation appeared to be political manoeuvre as Willy Telavi responded by insisting that Parliament should be suspended until a by-election was held and declined to call the by-election. In Tuvalu a by-election can only be called when requested by the Prime Minister.[7]

The Governor-General Iakoba Italeli then proceeded to exercise his reserve powers to order Mr Telavi's removal and the appointment of Enele Sopoaga as interim prime minister.[8] The Parliament subsequently confirmed the appointment of Enele Sopoaga as prime minister.[9] The government of Enele Sopoaga had a majority of two going into the by-election.[10] Leneuoti Maatusi, elected in the by-election, committed to support Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga.[11]