The two-seat parliamentary by-election will be held on 8 October to fill two vacant seats in the Legislative Assembly, following the removal of MPs Semisi Sika and Lata‘ifaingata‘a Tangimana.
The Tonga Electoral Commission confirmed the date after King Tupou VI issued the writ last Friday. Candidate nominations will be accepted on 2 and 3 September, from 10am to 3pm.
Supervisor of Elections Samiuela Vao said the Commission would begin preparations to ensure the poll was conducted transparently. Candidates must be nominated and supported by at least 50 registered voters in their respective constituencies.
The vacancies follow court proceedings from the 2025 general election. However, the cases against the two former MPs involved different findings.
The Court of Appeal upheld the decision declaring Sika’s Tongatapu 2 election void after finding breaches of electoral-expense rules. The court found no allegation of bribery against him.
In a separate case, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision voiding Tangimana’s election for bribery. The court found that fish had been distributed to voters before the 2025 election to induce support for him.
Sika won Tongatapu 2 in November 2025 with 951 votes, defeating former Cabinet minister ‘Uhilamoelangi Fasi, who received 764. Fasi had won the constituency in 2021.
Tangimana won Niua 17 with 540 votes, securing a clear majority over three other candidates.
The by-election will give voters in both constituencies the opportunity to choose new representatives, while testing the electoral system’s handling of disputed election results.
