Tonga's prime minister Akilisi Pohiva died in an Auckland hospital after years of ill health, New Zealand officials said Thursday, hailing the 78-year-old as a democratic pioneer in the Pacific kingdom. Pohiva was airlifted from Tonga on Wednesday to receive treatment for pneumonia, when his office issued a statement urging people to pray for him. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said he died on Thursday morning.

"Pohiva was an elder statesman for the Pacific and a great friend to New Zealand," she said. "He will be remembered for his lifelong commitment to championing democracy." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was "terribly saddened" at Pohiva's death. "He was a passionate advocate for his people, for his beloved Tonga and our Pacific family," Morrison tweeted. Pohiva, a former history teacher, began his push for democracy in the mid-1970s, when Tonga was an absolute monarchy dominated by the royal family and nobles.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019