Education
In September 2008 Ielemia and the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, attended a conference to improve relations with Cuba.
In September 2008 Ielemia and the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, attended a conference to improve relations with Cuba.
In general elections held on 3 August 2006 prime minister Maatia Toafa"s government was defeated and Ielemia was elected by the new parliament on 14 August to become the new prime minister. He also became foreign minister. Ielemia has continued Tuvalu"s pursuit of close relations with the Republic of China, and in December 2007 visited that country, where various bilateral issues were addressed.
He gained a higher international profile during the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen by highlighting the dangers of rising sea levels.
Prospects for stability
In a country which had in recent years seen frequent changes of government through the use of the parliamentary no confidence device, Ielemia"s government, in office since 2006, seemed at the beginning of 2009 to offer somewhat of a rarity: the prospect of a government of Tuvalu running its full course. Prior to Ielemia"s appointment as Prime Minister, the average length of Prime Ministerial terms of office had been considerably shorter.
This history underscored the relative stability of his government, and by extension, the underlying parliamentary system which supported lieutenant Ielemia was one of 10 MPs who were re-elected to parliament in the 2010 general election.
Government members
As of September 2006, the government of Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia consisted of the following members:
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources: Honorary
Tavau Teii – represents Niutao
House Speaker: Honorary Sir Kamuta Latasi – represents Funafuti
Minister of Home Affairs: Honorary Willy Telavi – represents Nanumea
Minister of Finance & Economic Planning: Honorary
Lotoala Metia – represents Nukufetau
Minister of Public Works, Water & Energy: Honorary
Kausea Natano – represents Funafuti
Minister of Communications, Transportation & Tourism: Honorary Taukelina Finikaso – represents Vaitupu
Minister of Education, Youth & Sports: Honorary Falesa Pitoi – represents Nanumaga
Minister of Health: Honorary
Iakoba Italeli – represents Nui
Chairman of the Caucus: Honorary Sir Tomu Sione – represents Niutao
However, on December 15, 2010, Prime Minister Maatia Toafa"s government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, and Willy Telavi was elected to the premiership by a slender majority in Parliament (8:7).
Ielemia was among Telavi"s supporters, and was appointed to Telavi"s Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Environment, Trade, Labour and Tourism.
Following Prime Minister Telavi"s removal by Governor General Sir Iakoba Italeli on 1 August 2013 in the context of a political crisis (Telavi had sought to govern without the support of Parliament), Ielemia and the rest of Cabinet were voted out of office a day later following the no confidence motion.
Ielemia was elected to serve in the Parliament of Tuvalu by the constituency of Vaitupu on a non-partisan basis: his lack of alignment is not unusual in the politics of Tuvalu, since political parties have not emerged in the country.
He served as the tenth from 2006 to 2010, and was returned as a member of parliament in the general election of 2010. Following the general election held on 16 September 2010 Maatia Toafa was elected as prime minister with the support of five new members of parliament and three members that had supported Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia, this resulted in an 8:7 majority in the parliament.