Prime Minister

The Prime Minister the country Thursday night accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu and two senior staff from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Rabuka was elected with 28 votes to 27.

"It was a very close margin," Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa) youth forum president Ben Daveta said.

From the polls to parliament, every decision was balanced on a knife's edge.

First, no party gained an outright majority to rule.

Then it took the king-makers Sodelpa two split-votes to choose a coalition partner -- and even in the final secret ballot to elect a prime minister, someone in the opposition ranks voted for the other side.

It has been a frantic time, Daveta said.

In a statement issued from Mark Brown's office Sir Tom Marsters said he was "satisfied" that Mark Brown had the majority of the MPs elected to Parliament.

Following the final count of the Cook Islands general elections, the Cook Islands Party (CIP) gained 12 seats including the Ngatangiia seat which was initially tied between CIP's candidate Sonny Williams and Cook Islands United Party's Margaret Matenga.

Mark Brown thanked the community for a fair and peaceful election process.

Hu'akavameiliku conveyed his gratefulness for the invitation to meet the country's Head of State.

He also expressed best wishes from King Tupou VI to President Kagame.

Accompanying the Prime Minister on the visit was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Fekitamoeloa 'Utoikamanu and the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, Edgar Cocker.

Prime Minister, Hu'akavameiliku is in Rwanda to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The incumbent, Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa, has pulled out and there are now two contenders.

The caretaker education minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, is facing 'Aisake Eke, who won re-election last month after losing in his seat in the 2017 poll.

RNZ Pacific's correspondent, Kalafi Moala, said it appears that Mr Tu'i'onetoa is backing Dr Eke - hoping he will continue to follow the policies of the previous government.

Nominations for Tonga's prime minister close next Tuesday.

Mr Tu'i'onetoa became prime minister following the death of 'Akilisi Pohiva two years ago.

Tongans went to the polls 11 days ago and elected an all-male parliament, with nine new faces coming in via the 17 People's Representative seats, and three among the nobles.

The new noble MPs again are Lord Vaea, Lord Fohe and Prince Fotofili.

Pohiva Tu'ionetoa retained his Tongatapu 10 constituency, as one of only five current Cabinet ministers returned.

Secretive negotiations have been going on since the poll.

The prospective government - an unprecedented coalition of parties - has a razor-thin majority of one seat.

It would also end more than two years of political paralysis in which three elections resulted in stalemate.

Right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett is poised to become PM in a power-sharing deal with a centrist leader.

Under the coalition agreement, Mr Bennett, who heads the Yamina party, will hold office until September 2023, when he will hand over to Yair Lapid, leader of Yesh Atid, for a further two years.

Kaniva News reports that the King also declined a request the police minister have more say over the police commissioner.

The Privy Council oversees the appointments of key public servants such as the police commissioner, judges and the attorney general.

The previous administration of the late 'Akilisi Pohiva had made strong but unsuccessful pushes for change.

It had wanted Tonga to move further towards full democracy.

Don Wiseman asked correspondent Kalafi Moala about the latest tensions within the different arms of the Tonga Government.

Prime Minister James Marape on October 14^th met with his Solomon Islands counterpart, Manasseh Damukana Sogavare, in Port Moresby.

Economic trade and investment was among areas of mutual interest both leaders discussed during their meet in Port Moresby yesterday.

Border Security, the Bougainville Referendum, labour mobility and employment opportunities and issues surrounding the Melanesian Spearhead Group were among those high on the agenda.

It is understood the 77-year-old was diagnosed with pneumonia and is recovering.

His media spokesperson Lōpeti Senituli told Kaniva News last night that Mr Pohiva is fine.

In a previous interview, Mr Pōhiva told Kaniva News said his routine check-ups with his doctors showed he was healthy but he said he sometimes felt the burden of his duties for the country.

In January last year, he was admitted into Vaiola hospital in a "stable condition."