Kamuta Latasi

The Right Honourable Kamuta Latasi KCMG OBE MP
Prime Minister of Tuvalu
In office 10 December 1993 – 24 December 1996
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Tomu Sione Tulaga Manuella
Preceded by	Bikenibeu Paeniu
Succeeded by	Bikenibeu Paeniu
Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu
In office 24 December 2010 – 4 March 2014
Prime Minister	Willy Telavi Enele Sopoaga
Preceded by	Isaia Italeli
Succeeded by	Otinielu Tausi
In office 16 August 2006 – 29 September 2010
Prime Minister	Apisai Ielemia
Preceded by	Otinielu Tausi
Succeeded by	Isaia Italeli
Acting Governor-General of Tuvalu
In office 19 March 2010 – 16 April 2010
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Apisai Ielemia
Preceded by	Sir Filoimea Telito
Succeeded by	Sir Iakoba Italeli
Personal details
Born	1936

Sir Kamuta Latasi KCMG OBE PC MP (born 1936) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu from Funafuti atoll. He was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in 1992. Latasi served as the 4th Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 1993 until 1996. He has served as the Speaker of parliament from 2006^[1] to September 2010^[2] and again from December 2010^[3][4] to March 2014.^[5]

Prime Minister of Tuvalu

The general election held on 25 November 1993 resulted in the members being evenly split in their support of the incumbent prime minister Bikenibeu Paeniu and the former prime minister Tomasi Puapua.^[6] As a consequence, the governor-general dissolved the parliament on 22 September and a further election took place on 25 November 1993. The subsequent parliament elected Kamuta Latasi as prime minister on 10 December 1993, with a 7:5 majority over the group a members of parliament headed by former prime minister Bikenibeu Paeniu.^[6] Kamuta Latasi was the prime minister until 24 December 1996. As the result of the vote on a motion of no confidence Kamuta Latasi resigned and Bikenibeu Paeniu was elected as prime minister for the second time. In the general election of 26 March 1998 Latasi lost his seat.^[7]

While many Tuvaluan politicians tend to avoid organising themselves along partisan lines, Latasi is noted for his republican leanings, together with former prime minister, the late Ionatana Ionatana.

Flag issue

During his premiership, Latasi controversially removed the Union Jack from the Flag of Tuvalu, replacing it with the flag pictured above. The flag was returned to the original in April 1997.

One notable issue during the premiership of Latasi was the question of the design of the national flag of Tuvalu, which included a British Union Jack, reduced in size.

In a manner which some Tuvaluans regarded as arbitrary, Latasi changed the flag to another design which omitted the Union Jack. Supporters of Latasi held that this measure symbolically distanced Tuvalu from the colonial period. This change, however, proved to be short-lived, since Latasi's successor (Bikenibeu Paeniu) implemented a reversion to the former design.

Personal Background

Sir Kamuta Latasi is a landowner and long-time politician. His wife Lady Naama Maheu Latasi was also a member of the Parliament of Tuvalu from 1989 to 1997.^[8] She died on 16 March 2012.^[9]

Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu

From 2006 to 2010, Latasi was the Speaker of parliament. He was re-elected to parliament by his constituency of Funafuti in the 2010 general election.^[10] Latasi was not the speaker during the short term of the government of Maatia Toafa. On 25 December 2010 Willy Telavi was elected prime minister with an (8:7) majority over Enele Sopoaga. Latasi was appointed Speaker.^[4][11]

Prime minister Telavi lost his majority as the result of the death of Lotoala Metia. prime minister Willy Telavi delayed calling a by-election following the death of the member from Nukufetau until the opposition took legal action, which resulted in the High Court ordering the prime minister to issue a notice to hold the by-election.^[12][13] The Nukufetau by-election, 2013 was won by the opposition candidate.

On 30 July 2013, during the attempts of the opposition to present a no-confidence motion in the government of Willy Telavi, Latasi refused to allow a debate on the motion.^[14] The Tuvaluan constitutional crisis continued until the governor-general Iakoba Italeli then proceeded to exercise his reserve powers to order Mr Telavi's removal and appoint Enele Sopoaga as interim prime minister.^[15][16] The governor-general also ordered that parliament sit on Friday 2 August to allow a vote of no-confidence in Mr Telavi and his government.^[17]

Again on 2 August 2013 Willy Tevali faced a motion of no confidence, the voting was eight for the motion, four against and one abstention and Kamuta Latasi abstained for voting on the motion.^[18]

On 4 March 2014 Latasi was replaced as Speaker by Otinielu Tausi, with Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga stating that the government needed a Speaker who shared its general viewpoints. He thenceforth sat on the Opposition benches.^[19][20]

Knighthood

Despite Latasi's republican stance he did accept several honours, including the KCMG in 2008.

Acting Governor-General

In 2010 Latasi was appointed acting Governor-General between the terms of Sir Filoimea Telito and Sir Iakoba Italeli. This was quite remarkable considering Latasi's republican tendencies.

2015 general election

Sir Kamuta Latasi and Kausea Natano were re-elected in the 2015 general election.

See also

• Politics of Tuvalu

References

1. "Tuvalu-news.tv". Apisai Ielemia New Prime Minister. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
2. "Tuvalu PM re-elected, seeks to form govt". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
3. "Current Members (including Ministers and Private Members)". The Parliament of Tuvalu. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
4. "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
5. "Tuvalu’s new speaker", Islands Business, 4 March 2014
6. "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1993. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
7. "Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1998. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
8. "Women Need Support to Overcome Barriers Entering Parliament", Solomon Times, 11 May 2010
9. "The first elected female Member of Parliament in Tuvalu, Lady Sapeta Naama Maheu Laatasi, laid to rest in Funafuti" (PDF). Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter (TPB: 01/2012). 2 May 2012.
10. "Tuvalu PM, speaker retain seats as deputy PM crashes out". Radio Australia. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
11. "Willie Telavi the new prime minister in Tuvalu". Radio New Zealand International. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
12. "Attorney General, In re Application under Section 131(1) of the Constitution of Tuvalu [2014] TVHC 15; Civil Case 1.2013 (24 May 2013)". PACLII. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
13. Matau, Robert (June 2013). "Tuvalu's high court orders by-election to be held". Island Business.
14. Cooney, Campbell (31 July 2013). "Tuvalu speaker blocks no-confidence motion". Australia News Network. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
15. Matau, Robert (1 August 2013). "GG appoints Sopoaga as Tuvalu's caretaker PM". Island Business. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
16. AFP, Report (2 August 2013). "Dismissal crisis rocks Tuvalu". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
17. Cooney, Campbell (1 August 2013). "Tuvalu government faces constitutional crisis". Australia News Network. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
18. Cooney, Campbell (4 August 2013). "Tuvalu parliament elects new prime minister". Australia News Network. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
19. Matau, Robert (4 March 2014). "Tuvalu's new speaker". Islands Business. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
20. "Tuvalu PM says ousted speaker misinterpreted constitution". Radio New Zealand International. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.

External links

• "Court Circular", The Times, 3 January 2008 (announcing Sir Kamuta's knighthood and accession to the Privy Council)