Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Elections
Samoa: The year was barely two weeks old before the first ructions of discontent started in Samoa's Parliament.
A split in the country's FAST Party in January saw then-prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa remove FAST Party chairman La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt and several FAST ministers from her Cabinet.
In turn, La'auli ejected her from FAST, leaving her leading a minority government.
Fiame finally conceded defeat in May after her government's 2025 Budget was voted down.
On election day, 29 August, voters gave FAST 30 seats, HRPP 14, and the Samoa Uniting Party three. Independents won four seats.
La'aulialemalietoa Poltaivao Schmidt was sworn in as Samoa's eighth prime minister in September and then spent several weeks receiving healthcare in Auckland.
Photo: RNZ Pacific / FAST Party / Samoa Uniting Party / HRPP
Tonga: The kingdom's election took place in November, with eight new MPs getting seats - six people's representatives and two noble's representatives.
Among the election issues were a fuel shortage, leaving people waiting hours for the petrol pumps to get back into action.
The new prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, was decided by the newly elected representatives through an election in parliament conducted via a secret ballot.
Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
Fakafanua, 40, won the secret ballot by 16 votes to 10.
Fakafanua is a member of Tonga's royal family through his mother - who was a granddaughter of the beloved Queen Salote III - and has noble lineage through his father.
He is also the president of Tonga Rugby League.
Vanuatu: Jotham Napat was elected unopposed as the new prime minister in February - the country's fifth PM in five years.
The election was triggered in November 2024 by the president, Nikenike Vurobaravu, who dissolved parliament ahead of a motion-of-no-confidence in then-prime minister Charlot Salwai.
This was despite the people of Vanuatu supporting referendums, aimed at establishing greater political stability in
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