- ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho
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ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho Born 12 July 1959 Consort Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho (Vaea) Offspring ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho
Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho
Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki TukuʻahoRoyal House Tupou Royal anthem Ko e fasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo e ʻOtu Tonga Father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Mother Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe Prince ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho (born 12 July 1959), is the younger brother of King George Tupou V of Tonga and officially confirmed by the latter on 27 September 2006 as the Heir Presumptive to the Tongan throne.[1] As of August 2008, he is also Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resides in Canberra.[2][3]
Contents
Life
He was born the third son and youngest child of the late King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. He started his career in the military, joining the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982 and becoming a Lieutenant-Commander in 1987. From 1990 to 1995 he commanded the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA Pangai and his time in charge included peacekeeping operations in Bougainville.
In 1998 he ended his military career to become part of the government, first as the defence minister and the foreign minister at the same time, from October 1998 until August 2004. He took over these posts from his elder brother Siaosi Tupou V, at that time still the crown prince and as such known as Tupoutoʻa (see below). Soon he was appointed on 3 January 2000, as the prime minister, a function he kept until his sudden resignation on 11 February 2006, for which the reason has never become clear, but was most likely due to the unrest in the country since mid-2005, a series of pro-democracy protests calling for a lesser role for the royal family in government. His appointed successor, Feleti Sevele, is Tonga's first prime minister who is not a hereditary estate holder or a member of the aristocracy (made of 33 noble titles).
ʻAhoʻeitu is married to a daughter of the high chief Vaea, Nanasipauʻu and the couple has 3 children:
- ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho
- Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho (also written as Jiaoji ... Konftantin ...; it is not known whether this is an error or intended. It would make sense if it were ... Konſtantin ... (with the old long ess), but this character is unknown in Tongan, and as such not recognised (at least by any of the Tongan references))
- Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho
Name and titles
It is customary in Tongan culture that princes get a traditional chiefly title, by which they then are commonly known (and no longer by their baptised name). As such for many years, until his confirmation as heir presumptive, ʻAhoʻeitu was known by either one or all three of the titles which were bestowed on him over the time: Lavaka from Pea, Ata from Kolovai and
Tupoutoʻa-Lavaka (centre) uncombed, unshaven and in mourning dress for his recently deceased father, king Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, flanked by his two sons, the new chiefs ʻUlukālala (left) and Ata (right)
ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho
Career highlights
- 2008–present - High Commissioner of Tonga to Australia
- 2006 - Resigns unexpectedly as Prime Minister and from his other cabinet posts.
- 2004 - Minister of Civil Aviation; Minister responsible for Communications; Minister of Defence; Minister of Marine and Ports; Minister of Works and Disaster Relief Activities
- 2001 - Minister of Civil Aviation & Minister of Communications
- 2000 - Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Marine and Ports
- 1998 - Minister for Foreign Affairs & Defence
- 1991-1995 - Commander of the Navy, Tonga Defence Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence
Education
- 1998 - Master of Arts in International Relations, Bond University, Queensland, Australia
- 1997 - Masters in Defence Studies, University of New South Wales, Australia
- 1995 - Graduate Diploma of Strategic Studies, Australian Joint Services Staff College, Australia
- 1988 - Diploma in Strategic Studies, United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
- 1977 - GCE 'A' Level, The Leys School, Cambridge, UK
See also
- Line of succession to the Tongan Throne
- List of national leaders
References
- ^ Tupouto'a Lavaka, Tonga's new Crown Prince Matangi Tonga, 27 September 2006
- ^ "Crown Prince Tonga's first High Commissioner to Australia", Matangi Tonga, 15 August 2008
- ^ "Tonga’s Crown Prince made High Commissioner in Canberra", Radio New Zealand International, 15 August 2008
External links
Preceded by Vaea |
Prime Minister of Tonga 2000–2006 |
Succeeded by Feleti Sevele |
|
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