One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Tuvalu names Feleti Teo as its new prime minister
Funafuti, the main island of the nation state of Tuvalu, is photographed from a Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 aircraft as it approaches the tiny South Pacific nation.
(
Alastair Grant
/
AP
)
MELBOURNE, Australia — Tuvalu's former attorney general Feleti Teo was named prime minister of the tiny South Pacific nation Monday after elections a month ago ousted the last government leader.
Teo was the only candidate nominated by his 15 lawmaker colleagues and Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu Falani declared him elected without a vote, government secretary Tufoua Panapa said in a statement.
The swearing-in ceremony for Teo and his Cabinet will be held later this week.
It was not immediately clear how the new government will affect China's influence in the country of around 11,500 people half way between Australia and Hawaii.
The previous prime minister, Kausea Natano, and three of his eight ministers were not reelected in the Jan. 26 election.
Natano had wanted Tuvalu to remain one of only 12 countries that have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-governed democracy that China claims as its own territory.
Natano's former finance minister Seve Paeniu, who was considered a leadership contender, had argued for Tuvalu's relationships with both Beijing and Taiwan to be reviewed.
Sponsored message
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
