Sopoaga Ministry
The Sopoaga Ministry is the 14th ministry of the Government of Tuvalu, led by Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. It succeeds the Telavi Ministry upon its swearing in by Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli on 5 August 2013.
Following the 2015 general election, Enele Sopoaga was sworn in as prime minister on 10 April. Enele Sopoaga said his administration will focus on working to make Tuvalu less vulnerable to climate change and global economic forces.
The Sopoaga Ministry ended following the 2019 Tuvaluan general election, on 19 September 2019, when the members of parliament elected Kausea Natano from Funafuti as Prime Minister.
Cabinet
The ministry was sworn in on 5 August 2013. The Sopoaga Ministry includes number of former high profile Tuvaluan politicians returning to cabinet, including Maatia Toafa, who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2004 to 2006 and again in 2010.In the 2015 Tuvaluan general election Vete Sakaio, the deputy prime minister and minister for public utilities, was not re-elected to parliament. Following the general election Enele Sopoaga was sworn in as prime minister and appointed the ministers to the cabinet on 10 April. Enele Sopoaga took responsibility for public utilities and appointed Maatia Toafa as deputy prime minister. Satini Manuella was appointed to be the minister for health.
| Officeholder | Office |
| The Rt Hon Enele Sopoaga MP | Prime Minister Minister for Public Utilities |
| The Rt Hon Vete Sakaio OBE MP | Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Public Utilities |
| The Rt Hon Monise Lafai MP | Minister for Communications and Transport |
| The Rt Hon Fauoa Maani MP | Minister for Education, Youth, Sport and Health Minister for Education, Youth and Sport |
| The Rt Hon Satini Manuella MP | Minister for Health |
| The Rt Hon Taukelina Finikaso MP | Minister for the Environment, Foreign Affairs, Labour and Trade |
| The Rt Hon Maatia Toafa OBE MP | Minister for Finance and Economic Development Deputy Prime Minister |
| The Rt Hon Pita Elisala OBE MP | Minister for Works and Natural Resources |
| The Rt Hon Puakena Boreham MP | Minister for Works and Natural Resources |
| The Rt Hon Namoliki Sualiki MBE MP | Minister for Home Affairs |
Program of the Sopoaga Ministry
Climate change and renewable energy policies
When he was appointed Prime Minister in 2013, Enele Sopoaga said he would ensure the country was given a strong voice in the fight against climate change.Enele Sopoaga made a commitment under the Majuro Declaration, which was signed on 5 September 2013, to implement power generation of 100% renewable energy. This commitment is proposed to be implemented using Solar PV and biodiesel. The feasibility of wind power generation will be considered.
On 16 January 2014 Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga established the National Advisory Council on Climate Change, which functions are “to identify actions or strategies: to achieve energy efficiencies; to increase the use of renewable energy; to encourage the private sector and NGOs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; to ensure a whole of government response to adaptation and climate change related disaster risk reduction; and to encourage the private sector and NGOs to develop locally appropriate technologies for adaptation and climate change mitigation.”
Following the 2015 general election, the Paris Climate Change Conference negotiations and the damage cause by Cyclone Pam were the focus of the Sopoaga Ministry.
Improving the governance issues of parliament and Constitutional review
In January 2014 Enele Sopoaga also indicated that reform of parliament will be addressed when parliament resumed in March 2014, with a two-thirds majority of members supporting the prime minister, he said that he wanted “to improve the governance issues of parliament, its rules and procedures, also we need to look at the functions of parliament on legislations, but particularly also on policies, to be more involved and based with the people”. On 3 March 2014 prime minister Sopoaga moved a motion without notice to remove Sir Kamuta Latasi. The motion was carried and Otinielu Tausi was subsequently elected as speaker. Prime minister Sopoaga was reported as not having faith in Sir Kamuta’s judgment because of his rulings during the events leading to the change of government, which Sopoaga described as being flawed by "ll sorts of misinterpretations, misapplications of the Constitution and he was a risk to the good governance of Tuvalu."In 2016 a 3 year review of the Constitution of Tuvalu commenced. The Tuvalu Constitutional Review Project was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Tuvalu. The project reviewed executive/parliamentary relations and Tuvalu’s commitments under international law. The project considered the country’s socio-economic and political context, such as the sensitivities over political and religious diversity among Tuvalu’s Christian and religious minorities.