The Honourable
Samuelu Penitala Teo
MP
Teo speaking at IPU assembly March 2022
Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu
Assumed office
20 September 2019
Prime MinisterKausea Natano
Preceded byOtinielu Tausi
Acting Governor-General of Tuvalu
In office
January 2021 – 28 September 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterKausea Natano
Preceded byTeniku Talesi (acting)
Succeeded byTofiga Vaevalu Falani
Minister of Works, Energy and Communications (1999-2001); Minister for Natural Resources (2001-2002)
In office
1999–2002
Prime MinisterIonatana Ionatana (1999-2000);[1] Lagitupu Tuilimu (2000-2001); Faimalaga Luka (2001); and Koloa Talake (2001–2002)
Member of the Tuvaluan Parliament
for Niutao
In office
26 March 1998 – 3 August 2006
Member of the Tuvaluan Parliament
for Niutao (serving with Fauoa Maani)
Assumed office
31 March 2015
Preceded byVete Sakaio
Personal details
Born
Samuelu Penitala Teo
Political partyIndependent

Samuelu Penitala Teo is a Tuvaluan politician. He is the son of Sir Fiatau Penitala Teo who was appointed as the first Governor General of Tuvalu (1978–1986) following independence from Great Britain.[2] Samuelu Teo himself served as the Acting Governor-General of Tuvalu from January until 28 September 2021.[3][4] He had succeeded Acting Governor-General Teniku Talesi[5] and remained in office until the Rev. Tofiga Vaevalu Falani was sworn in as the 10th Governor-General in September 2021.

His spouse is Miliaga Samuelu Teo.[6]

Career

He was first elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu at the 1998 general election to represent the constituency of Niutao.[2] He served as the Minister of Works, Energy and Communications in the governments led by Ionatana Ionatana (1999-2000)[1] and Lagitupu Tuilimu (2000-2001). He was the Minister for Natural Resources in the governments led by Faimalaga Luka (2001) and Koloa Talake (2001–2002). He was re-elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general election, then lost his seat in the 2006 Tuvaluan general election when the vote of the Tuvaluan electorate resulted in the election of 8 new members to the 15 member parliament.[7][8]

Samuelu Teo was again elected to represent Niutao in the 2015 Tuvaluan general election.[9][10][11] The 2015 election was strongly contested with 6 candidates including the two incumbent MPs (Vete Sakaio and Fauoa Maani) and three former MPs (Sir Tomu Sione, Tavau Teii and Teo).[10]

Following the 2019 Tuvaluan general election, on 19 September 2019, the members of parliament elected Kausea Natano from Funafuti as prime minister;[12][13][14] and Teo was elected as Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu.[15]

His brother Feleti Penitala Teo (b. 9 Oct. 1962) was attorney general of Tuvalu (1991-2000); and in December 2014 he was appointed the Executive Director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 Johnston, Martin (30 June 2000). "Student to blame for Tuvalu fire". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Tuvalu Elects 12 Members of Parliament". PacificIslands Report. 27 March 1998. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "LCT 'Moeiteava' Christened And Commissioned". Kitiona Tausi, Tuvalu Paradise – Issue No. 06/2021. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Presentation of Credentials to Honourable Samuelu Penitala Teo, Acting Governor-General of Tuvalu, by His Excellency Mr. KAWAKAMI Fumihiro, Ambassador of Japan to Tuvalu". Embassy of Japan in Tuvalu. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ↑ "Government Launches "Te Kete"". Kitiona Tausi, Tuvalu Paradise – Issue No. 12/2020. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "List Of Participants - PGA 43rd Annual Forum & 12th CAP-ICC" (PDF). Parliamentarians for Global Action. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Hassall, Graham (2006). "The Tuvalu General Election 2006". Democracy and Elections project, Governance Program, University of the South Pacific. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Lansford, Tom (2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. CQ Press.
  9. ↑ Pua Pedro & Semi Malaki (1 April 2015). "One female candidate make it through the National General Election" (PDF). Fenui News. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Election looks set to return Sopoaga as Tuvalu's PM". Radio New Zealand. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Tuvalu National Election 2015 Results (Niutao)". Fenui News. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Tuvalu has elected a new Prime Minister - Hon. Kausea Natano". 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  13. ↑ Evan Wasuka & Alan Weedon (19 September 2019). "Pacific climate change champion Enele Sopoaga is no longer Tuvalu's PM — so who's next in?". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  14. ↑ Colin Packham & Jonathan Barrett (19 September 2019). "Tuvalu changes PM, adds to concerns over backing for Taiwan in Pacific". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  15. ↑ "Kausea Natano new PM of Tuvalu; Sopoaga ousted". 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  16. ↑ Pareti, Samisoni (3 December 2014). "Tuvalu 'son' secures top WCPFC job". Island Business. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Rulers Index". Rulers Org. 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
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