Freedom in the World 2004 - Tuvalu

Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1
Status: Free
Population: 10,000
GNI/Capita: $1,930
Life Expectancy: 66
Religious Groups: Church of Tuvalu [Congregationalist] (97 percent), other (3 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Polynesian (96 percent), Micronesian (4 percent)
Capital: Funafuti

Overview

Intense political competition brought Tuvalu's parliament largely to a standstill in 2003. After a no-confidence vote in parliament and two by-elections, Prime Minister Sautafu Sopoanga regained majority control of the legislature toward the end of the year after agreeing to appoint opposition members to his cabinet.

Tuvalu became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in the British protectorate in 1916. During World War II, the United States used Tuvalu's northernmost atoll as a base to fight the Japanese. In 1974, the Ellice Islanders voted to separate from the Micronesian Gilbertese, and attained independence on October 1, 1978, under the precolonial name of Tuvalu.

Sopoanga narrowly defeated Amasone Kilei in a parliamentary leadership vote following the July 2002 general elections. The incumbent, Kolou Telake, failed to win a seat. Telake was in office for barely half a year, having become prime minister in December 2001 after his predecessor, Faimalaga Luka, was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Luka, in turn, had become prime minister only in February of that year after the sudden death in office of Ionatana Ionatana.

Prime Minister Sopoanga lost power after a by-election in May 2003, but he refused to concede. Results of the May election paved the way for the fifth change of leadership in the past three years. Such frequent changes as a result of no-confidence votes in parliament have sustained a debate in the last decade over whether citizens should be allowed to choose their leader directly rather than through parliament, which is driven by factional politics. On July 3, the opposition took Sopoanga to court for refusing to convene parliament after the election of the new speaker in mid-June following an intervention by the governor-general, who also ordered that parliament be convened. Parliament eventually reconvened following by-elections in October, which gave Sopoanga a majority in parliament when opposition members agreed to join his cabinet.

The country continues to be concerned about the threat of climate change and rising sea levels to the future of the low-slung islands. Several years ago, the government asked Australia to agree to take its entire population in the event the islands are flooded, but Canberra refused.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of Tuvalu can change their government through elections. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and is represented by the governor-general who must be a citizen of Tuvalu. Parliament appointed Faimalaga Luka the new governor-general in September 2003. The prime minister, who is chosen by parliament, leads the government. Prime Minister Saufatu Sopoanga was first elected to power in the July 2002 general election. The unicameral, 15-member parliament is elected to four-year terms. A six-person council administers each of the country's nine atolls. Council members are chosen by universal suffrage to four-year terms. There are no formal political parties, but there are no prohibitions against their formation.

The constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. In 2001, the country's sole radio station, Radio Tuvalu, was privatized. The government voiced objections to some comments made on the station in 2001 but did not interfere with broadcasts. The sole television station, owned and operated by the government, went off the air in 2001 for financial reasons. Broadcasts limited to a few hours each day were resumed in 2002. Many residents use satellite dishes to access foreign programs. There is one fortnightly newspaper, Tuvalu Echoes. The first Internet connection was made in 1999. There are no government restrictions on access, but penetration is largely limited to the capital due to cost and connectivity issues.

Religious freedom is generally respected in practice. The vast majority of the population, some 97 percent, are Congregational Protestants. Religion is a big part of life and Sunday service is commonly considered the most important weekly event. Academic freedom is also generally respected.

Nongovernmental groups across all levels of society provide a variety of health, education, and other services for youths, women, and the population at large. Workers are free to organize unions and choose their own labor representatives. Since most of the population is engaged in subsistence farming or fisheries, the only registered trade union is the Tuvalu Seamen's Union, with approximately 600 members who work on foreign merchant vessels. Workers have the right to strike, but no strikes have ever taken place. Both private and public sectors generally use nonconfrontational deliberations to resolve labor disputes rather than legal procedures.

The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respects this provision in practice. Tuvalu has a two-tier judicial system. The higher courts include the privy council, the court of appeal, and the High Court. The lower courts consist of senior and resident magistrates, the island courts, and the land courts. The chief justice, who is also the chief justice of Tonga, sits on the High Court approximately once a year. A civilian-controlled, 70-member police constabulary is the country's only security force.

Two-thirds of the population engages in subsistence farming. Increasing salination of the soil is a serious concern. The country also generates income through other means, including sale of coins and stamps, money sent back by islanders working overseas, sale of tuna fishing licenses to foreign ships, and lease of its country Internet ".tv" domain name. It also derives about 10 percent of its annual budget from the Tuvalu Trust Fund, a well-run overseas investment fund set up by the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Korea in 1987 to provide development assistance.

Although there is general respect for human rights, traditional customs and social norms encourage discrimination against women and limit their roles in society.