Bad weather delays forming of Tuvalu govt

FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu: Stormy weather has delayed the forming of a new government in Tuvalu, with freshly elected lawmakers still unable to reach parliament on Friday, weeks after the Pacific nation went to the polls.

Senior electoral officer Semi Malaki said that around half of the 16 elected members remained stranded on the outer islands and were having trouble reaching the capital Funafuti due to high winds and rough seas.

“Hopefully, by next week we have all the MPs here on Funafuti and proceed with the election of the prime minister,” Malaki added.

Tiny Tuvalu’s January 26 vote was closely watched in Beijing, Washington and Taipei, amid rumors that a new government could switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

Until a new government can be formed, ousted pro-Taiwan Prime Minister Kausea Natano, who lost his seat in the Funafuti constituency, remains in charge in a caretaker capacity.

Once a new prime minister is elected, there is speculation that Tuvalu — one of just 12 states, including the Holy See, that still formally recognize Taiwan — could switch allegiance to China.

Neighboring Nauru recently severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, fueling rumors that Tuvalu could be next.

Beijing has been methodically poaching Taiwan’s Pacific allies, convincing the Solomon Islands and Kiribati to switch recognition in 2019 before Nauru did the same.

Before the election, Natano’s Finance Minister Seve Paeniu had floated the idea of Tuvalu reviewing its Taiwan ties.

With no formal political parties, the process of MPs selecting a new prime minister and potentially changing government had already been expected to be slow, before bad weather forced further delays.