"Tonga’s first democratically elected Parliament". The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI), founded in September 2010 specifically to fight the election and led by veteran pro-democracy campaigner 'Akilisi Pohiva, secured the largest number of seats, with 12 out of the seventeen "people's representative" seats. ʻAkilisi Pohiva, the MP for Tongatapu 1, had sought to become Prime Minister, but the nobles and independent MP entrusted Lord Tuʻivakanō with the task of forming a government, relegating the DPFI to the status of a de facto parliamentary opposition. The DPFI put forward bills for further democratisation, including the proposal of direct election of the Prime Minister from among the 26 elected MPs, as well as of universal suffrage for all 26 MPs. These proposals were not taken forward by the conservative majority. At the death of King George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, his son ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho became King of Tonga, with the regnal name ʻAhoʻeitu Tupou VI. New elections in 2014 saw the DPFI lose three seats to independent candidates. Its leader Pohiva was nevertheless appointed as new Prime Minister of Tonga. On August 25, 2017 Pohiva was dismissed by the King along with the rest of parliament with fresh elections to be held on November 16. The Elections resulted in the DPFI winning 14 seats - enough for Pohivia to form government without relying on nobles' or independent MPs. 2022 tsunami On 15 January 2022 a tsunami caused by an eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano swept through many parts of Tonga. Many places in Australia and other countries were also put on high alert. Two people died and two others were injured. See also History of Oceania List of monarchs of Tonga Prime Minister of Tonga Politics of Tonga Kingdom of Tonga (1900–70) References Further reading Corbett, Jack, Wouter Veenendaal, and Lhawang Ugyel. "Why monarchy persists in small states: the cases of Tonga, Bhutan and Liechtenstein." Democratization 24.4 (2017): 689–706. online James, Kerry. "Is there a Tongan middle class? Hierarchy and protest in contemporary Tonga." Contemporary Pacific (2003): 309–336. online Latukefu, S. (1974)Church and State in Tonga, ANU Press, Canberra Lawson, Stephanie. Tradition Versus Democracy in the South Pacific: Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa (Cambridge University Press, 1996). van der Grijp, Paul. "Travelling Gods and Nasty Spirits. Ancient Religious Representations and Missionization in Tonga (Polynesia)." Paideuma (2002): 243–260. online Wood-Ellem, Elizabeth. Queen Salote of Tonga: The