many years the islanders and the Germans argued over the lease, including its terms and the importation of labourers, however the Germans remained until the lease expired in 1890. In 1896, HMS Penguin spent two days at Nukulaelae carrying out a scientific survey of the atoll. Nukulaelae Post Office opened around 1923. The atoll was claimed by the United States under the Guano Islands Act from the 19th century until 1983, when claims to the atoll were ceded to Tuvalu. 2019 election results Nukulaelae is one of the eight constituencies in Tuvalu. Unlike the other seven, it elects just one Member of Parliament, rather than two. The 2019 general election was held on 9 September 2019. Seve Paeniu was elected to represent Nukulaelae in the parliament. Notable local people Henry Faati Naisali (12 August 1928 – 29 October 2004) AO, CMG, MBE, was appointed Financial Secretary of the British Colony of Tuvalu in 1976. He was elected to represent Nukulaelae in the House of Assembly of the British Colony of Tuvalu in 1977. Naisali was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in 1981. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Tuvalu (1985-1989), Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (1988-1992). Naisali was the Director of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation from January 1986 to September 1988. Bikenibeu Paeniu (born 10 May 1956) represented Nukulaelae in the Parliament of Tuvalu from 1989 to 2006 and served two terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu (1989-1993) & (1996-1999). See also List of Guano Island claims References Further reading Suamalie N.T. Iosefa, Doug Munro, Niko Besnier Tala O Niuoku, Te: the German Plantation on Nukulaelae Atoll 1865-1890 (1991) Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. Atolls of Tuvalu Pacific islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act Former disputed islands