Kitiona Tausi
Kitiona Tausi was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu during 2022 elections to represent the Nanumanga electorate; However he was not re-elected in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election.
He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Fisheries and Trade in the Natano Ministry to succeed Minute Alapati Taupo.
Career
Tausi trained in theology and was appointed as a priest of Tuvalu's main church, Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu, and acted as the general secretary of the organisation. From January 2011 until his retirement he was a parish minister at the Vaialofa Vaiaku Church on Funafuti. Following his retirement, he was appointed as a chaplain to Fetuvalu Secondary School.Following his retirement, as a parish minister, on 28 September 2020, he established the first private newspaper to operate in the country – Tuvalu Paradise News - and was editor of the print newspaper and website. The Tuvalu Paradise News was published until Tausi was appointed as a member of parliament. In February 2024, Tausi began the publication of a newsletter under the title Island of Hope.
He has been appointed to a number of Tuvaluan government and non-government organisations, including: Tuvalu Association of Non Government Organizations, the Tuvalu National Private Sector Organisation, and prior to his election as a member of parliament he was the chairman of the Tuvalu Broadcasting Corporation board of directors.