Prime Minister of Tuvalu (2004-2006)
Prime Minister Saufatu Sopoanga resigned from Parliament on 27 August 2004, after his government was deposed in a no confidence vote. Toafa, who was Deputy Prime Minister at the time, became Acting Prime Minister as a result of Sopoanga's resignation from office.
Toafa was confirmed as Prime Minister on 11 October 2004, when Sopoanga was reelected to Parliament and Parliament reconvened to elect a new Prime Minister. Like all Tuvalu Prime Ministers, Toafa also became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Toafa was reelected to Parliament during the 2006 general election, but all of the members of his Cabinet were defeated.
United Nations
On Friday 16 September 2005, Toafa represented Tuvalu at the UN '2005 World Summit' discussing the problems faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), citing a lack of financial and technical access, Environmental security and infrastructural capacity. Toafa argued for the presence of permanent United Nations, activity in 'isolated' SIDS countries such as Tuvalu.
Read more about this topic: Maatia Toafa
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