Tuvalu
A candidate said he wants to review the Pacific country's ties with Taiwan and China, just weeks after Nauru switched allegiance to Beijing
Portal and Associated Press
Fri Jan 26, 2024 04.42 GMT
Voting has begun in the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu in a nationwide election that could have reverberations from China to Australia, amid a battle for influence in the region.
With just over 11,500 residents across nine islands, Tuvalu is one of the world's smallest countries, but the election for the 16-seat parliament was closely watched. After the votes are counted, a new government is formed in parliamentary negotiations and the prime minister is elected. Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. and were scheduled to close at 4 p.m.
Prime Minister Kausea Natano is running again, but even re-election to parliament does not guarantee him the top job.
Finance Minister Seve Paeniu is challenging him and opposition leader Enele Sopoaga hopes to become prime minister again after losing to Natano following the 2019 election.
After the votes are counted, government boats pick up the new MPs from the islands and take them to the capital Funafuti. The journey can take up to 27 hours. The Prime Minister is chosen by the newly elected legislators.
The elections come at a time when China, the United States and others are vying for influence in the strategic region. Washington recently pledged to connect the country's remote population to global telecommunications for the first time via undersea cables.
Tuvalu, a British colony until 1978, is one of only 12 countries that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its own territory.
But China has pushed these Taiwanese allies to change their alliance. So far, Natano has rebuffed Beijing, but that could change after this election. Nauru, another small Pacific nation, recently shifted its support from Taiwan to China.
Paeniu said he wanted to review Tuvalu's relations with both Taiwan and China.
Taiwan said on Thursday that China was trying to influence the election in Tuvalu and “usurp our diplomatic allies.” China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Global warming is another major problem, with Tuvalu's low-lying atolls regularly flooded.
A proposed security treaty between Tuvalu and Australia could also be on the rocks. The treaty commits Australia to assist Tuvalu in the event of major natural disasters, health pandemics and military aggression. The treaty also gives Australia veto power over any security or defense agreement Tuvalu wishes to enter into with any other country, including China.
Debate over the treaty has been contentious and it has yet to be ratified. Sopoaga said he would turn it down.
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