Two relatives of former Tongan Cabinet ministers unseated over electoral offences have won the parliamentary by-elections for Tongatapu 2 and ʻOngo Niua 17, returning both seats to the families of the politicians removed from Parliament.
In an unusual electoral outcome, Alvin Lafu Sika, the younger brother of former Infrastructure and Tourism Minister Semisi Sika, won Tongatapu 2, while ʻAminiasi Tonga Pauʻu Tangimana, the eldest son of former Finance Minister Lata ʻi Faingataʻa Tangimana, secured the Niua 17 seat previously held by his father.
The victories come just months after the two former ministers lost their parliamentary seats following separate court rulings arising from the November 2025 general election.
Semisi was unseated after the Supreme Court found that he had exceeded the statutory campaign spending limit and failed to disclose substantial election expenses, while Tangimana lost his seat following a conviction for election bribery.
Despite the legal proceedings that ended their parliamentary careers, both constituencies have now elected close relatives of the former MPs as their new representatives.
In Tongatapu 2, Alvin secured 609 votes, comfortably defeating his nearest rival, Dr Malakai Koloamatangi, who received 262 votes.
Dr Lei Paasi finished third with 248 votes.
The result gave Alvin a winning margin of 347 votes over Koloamatangi, with his total exceeding the combined votes of his two closest rivals.
Meanwhile, Aminiasi won the ʻOngo Niua 17 by-election with 435 votes, comfortably defeating his nearest rival, Sitiveni Selui, who received 144 votes, followed by Paea ʻi Vaha Filimoehala with 138 votes. Five candidates contested the seat.
Aminiasi secured a winning margin of 291 votes over Selui.
The two victories mean that neither constituency has passed out of the families of the former MPs, despite the court rulings that led to the vacancies.
Court rulings that removed two ministers
The by-elections followed separate legal challenges to the 2025 general election results.
In Semisi’s case, the Supreme Court found in May 2026 that he had breached section 24 of Tonga’s Electoral Act by exceeding the TOP$20,000 campaign spending limit and failing to fully disclose election-related expenditure.
Among the undeclared expenses was a TOP$9,517.50 payment made on his behalf by Five Star Finance to Suliana’s Dance Academy, together with food expenses associated with his election campaign.
Justice Garlick KC found beyond reasonable doubt that Sika had failed to declare all his election expenses and must have known that his financial return breached the Electoral Act.
The Court concluded that the violations were sufficiently serious to declare his election void and order that he be unseated from Parliament.
In a separate case, Lata ʻi Faingataʻa was found guilty of election bribery.
According to the Supreme Court judgment delivered by Justice Garlick KC on 24 March 2026, Lata was found guilty of election bribery after the Court established that he had used an intermediary, ʻIlaise Leua, to distribute fish to two female voters to influence their votes ahead of the November 2025 general election.
The Court subsequently declared his election void and ordered that he be unseated from Parliament.
Both men subsequently lost their appeals, clearing the way for their removal from Parliament.
The Legislative Assembly formally unseated the two former ministers on 3 August, creating vacancies that required fresh elections in their respective constituencies.
Both were also disqualified from contesting elections for five years.
