Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu

The Honourable Lord Fusituʻa
Fusituʻa in 2015
Member of Parliament for Niuas
In office 21 May 2014 – 18 November 2021
Preceded by	Lord Fusituʻa (his father)
Succeeded by	Prince Fotofili
Majority	2 (100%)
Personal details
Born	1972 or 1973
Died	February 2024 Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	none (Nobles' Representative)

Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu, Lord Fusituʻa (died February 2024) was a Tongan politician and noble of the Realm.

Fonuamotu was bestowed with the title Fusituʻa, one of the thirty-three hereditary titles of the Tongan nobility, on 6 May 2014, following the death of the previous title-holder (his father) on 24 April.[1] His father had also been one of the nine representatives of the nobility in the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, sitting for the nobles' constituency of the Niuas islands. His death led to a by-election on 21 May, whereby the nobles in the Niuas elected the new Lord Fusituʻa as their representative to Parliament.[1]

In August 2019 Fonuamotu was medevaced to New Zealand after collapsing in Tonga. He remained in Auckland ever afterwards.[2] On 6 August 2020 his seat was declared vacant due to his failing to attend Parliament for over a year.[3] On 1 September he was re-elected in the resulting by-election.[4]

Lord Fusituʻa was active in several key areas of anti-corruption and global transnational security in Oceania, as well as in the financial technology arena. He was a grassroots and social media educator and advocate for Bitcoin to empower the underbanked agrarian farmers particularly in the area of remittances.[5] He advocated for legislation to allow Tonga to adopt Bitcoin as a national currency.[6]

Fonuamotu vacated his seat before the 2021 Tongan general election as he was in New Zealand for medical treatment.[7][8] Fonuamotu died in February 2024.[9]

Honours

National honours

• Order of the Crown of Tonga, Commander (July 2015)[10]

References

1. "Lord Fusitu'a takes father's seat", Matangi Tonga, 22 May 2014
2. "Lord Fusitu'a vacates Niuas nobles seat". Matangi Tonga. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
3. "Tongan Noble seat declared vacant". RNZ. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
4. "Noble MP regains seat in Tonga". RNZ. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
5. "Bringing Bitcoin to Tonga with Lord Fusitu'a". What Bitcoin Did. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
6. Tom Richardson (4 October 2021). "Bitcoin dream brewing in Tonga". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
7. "Three new nobles elected to nine Nobles seats". Matangi Tonga. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
8. "Tonga's Lord Fusitu'a vacates seat due to health reasons". Loop Tonga. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
9. "Lord Fusitu'a dies in Auckland". Kaniva Tonga. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
10. "Lord Fusitu'a". Parliament of Tonga. Retrieved 5 January 2022.