The tiny island nation of Tonga, population 100,000, got it’s first commoner prime minister after the king’s son was removed from the position following months of public protest against his rather senile rule. Here’s the backstory.

Tonga has moved closer to democracy with the king’s unpopular youngest son stepping down as prime minister in favour of an elected commoner – an historic first in the Pacific island monarchy.

Without giving a reason, the Tongan government announced on Monday that after six years as prime minister, Prince Ulukalala Lavaka Ata resigned all his ministerial portfolios on Saturday.

A statement said Crown Prince Tupouto’a had appointed as acting prime minister Labour Minister Feleti Sevele, a businessman who until joining the government last year was a pro-democracy MP.

If Sevele’s appointment is made permanent he would be the first Tongan commoner to become head of the government, a position once reserved for royalty or the nobility, and the first elected leader.

I wrote about Tonga once before, when protests for constitutional change and an end to the monarchy were beginning to peak. The story of this small country off the coast of Australia is very interesting, as the entire place, barring technological advancements, seems stuck in a political and social system reserved for centuries in the past. Sevele’s appointment to the position of prime minister is symbolic in the sense that the country’s politics are dominated by its autocratic aristocracy. The nobility is extremely important, and the position of prime minister has always been reserved for someone in that position.

What makes this important then is that Sevele is a commoner; an elected commoner, in a parliament where only 1/3 of the seats are chosen by elections. Because he is elected, he can also be refused another term by the voters. His position as prime minister then, since he himself is held directly responsible to the constituency, will bring a much greater degree of public pressure on government policy. Likewise, it looks as if he will now preside over the much protested for constitutional changes that will transition the country toward democracy.

(Outside of the popular movement toward democracy in Tonga, there are a few strategic factors that have made the political situation very favorable toward this development. The king is old and very ill, and is little talked about because he is always gone for the country receiving treatment. His son, meanwhile, proved to be an inept administrator and has now lost his position as prime minister. Monarchies and other forms of government that do not derive their legitimacy from the will of the people have to derive it from elsewhere. In most cases, it is the ability to perform well. Since the monarchy is hitting a lot of bumps in the road, it has facilitated this push toward democracy.)