2017 Tongan general election

General elections were held in Tonga on 16 November 2017. Initially expected to be held in 2018, King Tupou VI called a snap election in August 2017. Parliamentary Speaker Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō, who advised the monarch to dissolve parliament and call an early election, had expressed unease with attempts by Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and his government to remove certain powers from the monarch and the Privy Council. Despite legal and political experts disputing the legality of the dissolution, given that neither the monarch nor the speaker consulted Pōhiva on the matter, the prime minister declined to challenge the decision in court.

Prime Minister Pōhiva and his Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (PTOA) had governed since 2014. Two parties contested the election, the PTOA and the newly founded Langafonua ʻa e Masiva. Many candidates focused on local issues during the campaign, while national issues were generally viewed as less important by numerous voters. The controversial ban of a popular talkback show on the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, which had been critical of the PTOA government, resulted in many candidates utilising grassroots campaigning. The PTOA went on to win a majority of seats, securing 14 of the 17 people's seats, allowing the party to form government without the need of any of other factions. Independents won three of the people's seats, while Langafonua ʻa e Masiva failed to enter parliament. Voter turnout was 67%, a decline from 79% in the 2014 election. The Legislative Assembly re-elected Pōhiva as prime minister on 18 December, defeating former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni. Pōhiva's cabinet was inaugurated on 18 January 2018.