Elections and political parties in Tuvalu

Tuvalu elects a legislature on a national level. The Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu) has 15 members, elected for a four-year term in 7 double- and 1 single-seat constituencies. Tuvalu is a de facto non-partisan democracy since it does not have political parties.

Throughout the history of the parliament three women have been elected: Naama Maheu Latasi, from 1989 to 1997; Pelenike Isaia, from 2011 to 2015; and Dr Puakena Boreham who was elected in the Tuvaluan general election, 2015.

During the time Tuvalu was a British dependency the parliament was called the House of the Assembly. Following independence in October 1978 the House of the Assembly was renamed the Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu).

The Constitution of Tuvalu states that it "is the supreme law of Tuvalu" and that "all other laws shall be interpreted and applied subject to this Constitution"; it sets out the Principles of the Bill of Rights and the Protection of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. In 1986 the Constitution adopted upon independence was amended in order to give attention to Tuvaluan custom and tradition as well as the aspirations and values of the Tuvaluan people. The changes placed greater emphasis on Tuvaluan community values rather than Western concepts of individual entitlement.

The constituency of the parliament is based upon the islands of Tuvalu. The larger islands elect two members, while Nukulaelae elects one member. The smallest island, Niulakita, is represented in the parliament by the members of the constituency of Niutao. A candidate for parliament must be a citizen of Tuvalu of a minimum age of 21 years. Voting in Tuvalu is not compulsory. At 18 years of age, Tuvaluans are eligible to be added to the electoral rolls. At the date of independence there were 12 members of the parliament. The Electoral Act was amended in December 1999 to increase the membership of parliament from 12 to 15 MPs. In August 2007 the Constitution was changed to increase the number of ministers from 5 to 7. Those members selected the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the parliament by secret ballot. The Ministers that form the Cabinet are appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister. The Attorney-General sits in parliament, but does not vote, as the parliamentary role of the Attorney-General is purely advisory.

...
Wikipedia