17th May, 2019 The number of women that will be contesting for this month’s District and Town Officers Elections is dropping compared to the last elections in 2016. Of the 62 candidates for the district officers, only two are women and of the 319 candidates for town officers, only 12 are women.
Supervisor of Elections Mr Pita Vuki said, in 2016, 18 women contested in the District and Town Officers Elections – four for the district officers and 12 for the town officers.
He said that out of the 18 women contested two women were successfully elected – the first female District Officer for ‘Eua Motu’a District in ‘Eua and the first female town officer for Havelu, Tongatapu.
Vuki said that the District and Town Officers Elections will be held every four years instead of three starting from this election after the Parliament passed it.
There will be 185 elections centre throughout Tonga, 66 in Tongatapu, 44 in Vava’u, 33 in Ha’apai, 20 in ‘Eua, 9 in Niuatoputapu and 13 in Niuafo’ou.
The elections will be held on May 30 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications.