AGP Executive Report
Last update: 5 hours agoTonga by-elections set after bribery resignations: Tonga’s parliament has accepted the resignations of MPs Semisi Sika (Tongatapu 2) and Lata ʻi Faingataʻa Tangimana (Niua 17), both convicted of bribery tied to the 2025 general election. Speaker Lord Vaea says writs for by-elections are expected by King Tupou VI by week’s end, with the Electoral Commission now preparing dates; both men are barred from standing for five years. Māori roll momentum in NZ vote prep (deadline looming): New Electoral Commission figures show momentum swinging back toward the Māori roll ahead of Thursday’s Māori Electoral Option deadline, with a net gain of 705 voters to the Māori roll in the latest option period. Deep-sea mining backlash in Pacific policy debate: A Fisheries and Oceans Canada deepwater ecology scientist warns deep-sea mining would cause irreversible damage to ancient, slow-adapting ocean life, arguing it would be worse than climate and pollution impacts combined. US visa bond policy lands in Tonga region: The US has made permanent a visa bond programme for nationals of 50 countries, including Tonga, potentially requiring refundable bonds up to US$20,000 for certain B1/B2 applicants. Regional maritime sovereignty dispute: Solomon Islands opposition says a US “shiprider” maritime enforcement deal raises serious sovereignty concerns, while the government argues it preserves local authority under agreed procedures. Pacific governance and jobs: Tonga’s Supervisor of Elections says writs for two by-elections are imminent; separately, UN peacekeeping training in Australia includes Pacific police officers from Tonga and others.
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