Baron Vaea

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Baron Vaea

Siaosi Tuʻihala ʻAlipate Vaea Tupou , known as Baron Vaea and Baron Vaea of ​​Houma , (born May 15, 1921 , † June 7, 2009 in Houma , Tongatapu , Tonga ) was a Tongan politician and from 1991 to 2000 the Prime Minister of Tonga.

Vaea received his education in Tonga and at Wesley College in Auckland , New Zealand . During the Second World War , he served in the New Zealand Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1945. On his return he started working for the Tongan government. He served his aunt, Queen Salote Tupou III , from 1953 to 1958 . as aide-de-camp . From 1960 to 1968 he was governor of Ha'apai . The following year he became the first High Commissioner for Tonga in Great Britain , a position he held until 1972.

From 1972 on, he sat in the Tongan parliament and became a minister several times, including ministers for labor, agriculture, education, tourism and civil aviation. In 1991 he was appointed Tonga's 12th Prime Minister by King Taufaʻahau Tupou IV , succeeding the sick Prince Fatafehi ​​Tuʻipelehake . He submitted his resignation in 2000 at the age of 78.

Since 1952 he was married to Tupoutapuki Pulotu, with whom he had three daughters, three sons and an adopted daughter.