Supporters of the Miss Heilala pageant, Tonga’s national beauty contest, have vowed on social media to boycott any public voting for Tonga at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) 2026.
Miss Heilala received the highest number of votes to win last year’s MPIP People’s Choice Award.
The revelation comes as the Solomon Star revealed that Tonga would take part in this year’s contest in Fiji, despite last year’s dispute over claims that Miss Heilala should have been awarded the title, which was instead presented to Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia-Allan.
The controversy erupted after allegations that the pageant’s chief judge, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt of Samoa, tampered with score sheets, leading to Miss Samoa being crowned the winner.
The allegations—strongly denied by Mr Brunt and the pageant’s international board—triggered widespread regional backlash, particularly in Tonga.
The development was widely expected, amid ongoing anger among Miss Heilala supporters over the disputed outcome and a later disclosure by Tonga Tourism’s then chief executive that withdrawal from this year’s contest was being considered.
Kaniva observed that social media users recently tagged Minister of Tourism Sēmisi Sika in online posts responding to recent reports, including Kaniva’s coverage, to draw his attention to their opposition to the decision and their calls for a boycott.
The Minister has been contacted for comment.
Solomon Islands, which hosted last year’s contest, has confirmed its withdrawal from this year’s competition, citing what it described as unresolved issues arising from last year’s dispute.
People’s Choice Award
The regional MPIP’s People’s Choice Award is a special category determined by public voting, typically conducted through online polls.
The award recognises the contestant who attracts the highest level of public support and is determined independently of the judges’ scoring, meaning it has no bearing on the main competition results. The award in 2025 was won by Miss Heilala Rachael Guttenbeil.
The voting campaign mobilised widespread support on social media, with users across the country—including the King’s only daughter, Princess Angelika Tukuʻaho—publicly urging votes for Tonga’s contestant.
Miss Guttenbeil secured the People’s Choice title with more than 130,000 online votes, narrowly ahead of Miss Samoa in a closely contested public poll.
Miss Samoa went on to be crowned Miss Pacific Islands 2025.
Support Turned Protest
Online, Tongan supporters say they plan to withhold their votes in protest, arguing that returning to the contest without resolving last year’s dispute risks perpetuating the issues and allowing similar allegations to arise again.
“Why should we support a system that failed us and never addressed the problem?” one supporter wrote.
“If Tonga goes back without accountability, our votes will not.”
Others, speaking sarcastically, said it was no wonder if the Miss Pacific Pageant Committee kept deceiving Tonga, as the authorities would still follow without question.
Some critics have further raised concerns about the pageant’s governance, noting that the MPIP was originally initiated by the Samoan government and arguing that this historical association has, in their view, contributed to perceptions of undue influence over the selection process.
However, others believed that Miss Samoa delivered the stronger performance last year and deserved the title.
In the aftermath of the 2025 result, the then-Tonga Tourism chief executive Viliami Takau told Kaniva News the kingdom was contemplating withdrawal over concerns about integrity.
Observers say the growing boycott movement places the new Minister of Tourism under pressure, amid debate over whether Tonga should proceed with its participation in the pageant.
