Tonga’s prime minister quits moments ahead of no-confidence motion in parliament

Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni has abruptly quit his post in parliament ahead of a planned confidence vote in his leadership, capping a period of fraught relations between his government and Tonga’s king. Sovaleni took office in 2021. He did not give a reason for his departure on Monday, but his statement to lawmakers halted the confidence motion. It was not immediately clear who would succeed him. His resignation comes 10 months before a national election in Tonga, a South Pacific island nation of 105,000 people. It follows difficult relations this year between the leader and Tonga’s King Tupou VI.