# Prime Minister of Tonga

The prime minister of Tonga (historically referred to as the premier) is the head of government of Tonga. Tonga is a monarchy with the king, currently Tupou VI, former prime minister, as head of state. The current prime minister is ʻAisake Eke, who was elected on 24 December 2024 and appointed on 22 January 2025. Eke was elected with 16 votes.
The office of prime minister was established by the Constitution of 1875, whose article 51 stipulates that the prime minister and other ministers are appointed and dismissed by the king.
The prime minister is assisted by the deputy prime minister.

## 2000s democratization

During the 2000s, the country experienced an increase in democratization. In March 2006, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV appointed Feleti Sevele, a moderate member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, as prime minister. Sevele was the first commoner to hold this post since Shirley Waldemar Baker in 1881. All the prime ministers since Baker had been members of the nobility, or even the royal family.
In July 2008, King George Tupou V announced more substantial democratic reforms. He would abandon the essential part of his executive powers, and would henceforth follow the custom of monarchies such as the United Kingdom, exercising his prerogatives only with the prime minister's advice. In addition, he would no longer appoint the prime minister anyone he wished, but would appoint a member of the Legislative Assembly to be elected by the Legislative Assembly.

## List of premiers/prime ministers of Tonga

| No. | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Cabinet | Monarch (Reign) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) | Start | End | Duration | Party | Party | Cabinet | Monarch (Reign) |
| 1 | | Crown Prince Tēvita ʻUnga (1824 – 1879) | 1 January 1876 | 18 December 1879 | 3 years, 11 months | | Independent | ʻUnga | George Tupou Ir. 1845–1893 |
| George Tupou Ir. 1845–1893 |||||||||
| 2 | | Rev. Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836 – 1903) | April 1881 | July 1890 | 9 years, 3 months | | Independent | Baker | George Tupou Ir. 1845–1893 |
| 3 | | Siaosi Tukuʻaho (1854 – 1897) | July 1890 | 1893 | 2–3 years | | Independent | Tukuʻaho | George Tupou Ir. 1845–1893 |
| 4 | | Siosateki Tonga (1853 – 1913) | 1893 | January 1905 | 11–12 years | | Independent | Veikune | George Tupou IIr. 1893–1918 |
| 5 | | Siaosi Tuʻipelehake (1842 – 1912) | January 1905 | January 1905 | 0 months | | Independent | Pelehake | George Tupou IIr. 1893–1918 |
| 6 | | Sione Tupou Mateialona (1852 – 1925) | January 1905 | 30 September 1912 | 7 years, 7 months | | Independent | Mateialona | George Tupou IIr. 1893–1918 |
| 7 | | Tevita Tuʻivakano (1869 – 1923) | 30 September 1912 | 30 June 1923 | 10 years, 304 days | | Independent | Tuʻivakano | George Tupou IIr. 1893–1918 |
| 7 | | Tevita Tuʻivakano (1869 – 1923) | 30 September 1912 | 30 June 1923 | 10 years, 304 days | | Independent | Tuʻivakano | Sālote Tupou IIIr. 1918–1965 |
| 8 | | Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi CBE (1887 – 1941) | 30 June 1923 | 20 July 1941 | 18 years, 20 days | | Independent | Mailefihi | Sālote Tupou IIIr. 1918–1965 |
| 9 | | Solomone Ula Ata OBE (1883 – 1950) | 20 July 1941 | 12 December 1949 | 8 years, 145 days | | Independent | Ula | Sālote Tupou IIIr. 1918–1965 |
| 10 | | Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa Tungī KBE (1918 – 2006) | 12 December 1949 | 16 December 1965 | 16 years, 4 days | | Independent | Tungī | Sālote Tupou IIIr. 1918–1965 |
| 11 | | Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake CBE (1922 – 1999) | 16 December 1965 | 22 August 1991 | 25 years, 249 days | | Independent | Tuʻipelehake | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IVr. 1965–2006 |
| 12 | | Baron Siaosi Vaea (1921 – 2009) | 22 August 1991 | 3 January 2000 | 8 years, 134 days | | Independent | Vaea | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IVr. 1965–2006 |
| 13 | | Prince ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata (born 1959) | 3 January 2000 | 11 February 2006 | 6 years, 39 days | | Independent | Lavaka | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IVr. 1965–2006 |
| 14 | | Feleti Sevele (born 1944) | 30 March 2006 | 22 December 2010 | 4 years, 314 days | | Human Rights and Democracy Movement | Sevele | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IVr. 1965–2006 |
| 14 | | Feleti Sevele (born 1944) | 30 March 2006 | 22 December 2010 | 4 years, 314 days | | Human Rights and Democracy Movement | Sevele | George Tupou Vr. 2006–2012 |
| 15 | | Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 1952) | 22 December 2010 | 30 December 2014 | 4 years, 8 days | | Independent | Tuʻivakanō I–II | George Tupou Vr. 2006–2012 |
| 15 | | Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 1952) | 22 December 2010 | 30 December 2014 | 4 years, 8 days | | Independent | Tuʻivakanō I–II | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| 16 | | ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (1941 – 2019) | 30 December 2014 | 12 September 2019 | 4 years, 256 days | | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | Pōhiva | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| — | | Semisi Sika (born 1968) acting | 12 September 2019 | 8 October 2019 | 26 days | | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands | Pōhiva | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| 17 | | Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (1951 – 2023) | 8 October 2019 | 27 December 2021 | 2 years, 80 days | | Tonga People's Party | Tuʻiʻonetoa | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| 18 | | Siaosi Sovaleni (born 1970) | 27 December 2021 | 9 December 2024 | 2 years, 348 days | | Independent | Sovaleni | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| — | | Samiu Vaipulu (born 1953) acting | 9 December 2024 | 22 January 2025 | 44 days | | Independent | Sovaleni | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |
| 19 | | ʻAisake Eke (born ?) | 22 January 2025 | Incumbent | 2 days | | Independent | Eke | Tupou VIr. 2012–present |