Organisation : Tonga Electoral Commission
Facility : Election Types
Country : Tonga
Election Types : http://www.tongaelections.com/index.php/elections/types-of-elections
Home Page : http://www.tongaelections.com/
Types of Elections :
(1) General Parliamentary Elections :
Elections shall ordinarily be held for all the representatives of the nobles and the people every four years, and if not earlier dissolved the Legislative Assembly shall stand dissolved at the expiration of four years from the date of the last general election. There shall be elected by the nobles of the Kingdom from their number nine nobles as representatives of the nobles and there shall be elected by electors duly disqualified seventeen representatives of the people.
(a) Election of the Nobles Representatives :
For the purpose of the election of the representatives of the nobles, the Kingdom shall be divided into 5 electoral districts namely :
** Tongatapu
** Ha’apai
** Vava’u
** ‘Eua
Niuafo’ou and Niuatoputapu and there shall be elected for Tongatapu 3 representatives of the nobles, for each of the electoral districts of Ha’apai and Vava’u 2 representatives of the nobles and for each of the electoral districts of ‘Eua and Niuafo’ou and Niuatoputapu one representative of the nobles.
Any person appointed by His Majesty as a Life Peer under Clause 44 of the Consitution and having the same rights and benefits of a Noble, may vote as a Noble for an Electoral District but shall not stand as a candidate.
The Nobles election will be held at the Palace Office in Nuku’alofa, Governor’s Office at Vava’u and Ha’apai, and the Office of the Government Representatives in ‘Eua, Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou from 10:00am until 12:00 noon on a polling day.
(b) Election of the People’s Representatives :
** For the purpose of the election of representatives of the people, the Kingdom shall divide into 17 electoral constituencies and for each constituency there shall be elected one representative of the people.
** The Electoral System does not allow political parties but candidates are standing as individuals for each of the 17 electoral constituencies.
** Election of members is conducted under the simple majority voting system of ‘First-Past-the-Post’ (FPTP) where the candidate with the most votes is elected.
** The election will be held from 9:00am until 4:00pm and the Electoral Commission will notify the public of the apppointed polling stations for each of the 17 electoral constituencies.
(2) By-Elections :
If any representative shall die or shall resign his seat or shall cease to be qualified for election under clauses 23 and 65 of the Constitution or be unseated in accordance with clause 66 of the Constitution or section 9 of the Legislative Assembly Act, his seat in the Legislative Assembly shall thereupon become vacant and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly shall issue a writ for the election of a successor. The Electoral Commission in consultation with the Speaker shall thereupon fix the time and place of such election and the person elected thereat shall hold office for the balance of the term of his predecessor.