Early results in Tonga's historic elections indicate the party led by the country's leading pro-democracy campaigner is in the lead.

Seventeen of the 26 seats in the new Tongan parliament will go to candidates elected by the people.

That is a substantial move towards democracy, although the nobles will retain nine seats.

Early results from the polls favour The Friendly Islands Democratic Party, led by long-term pro-democracy leader Akilisi Pohiva.

His party seems to have won eight of the 10 seats decided so far, all on the island of Tonga Tapu.

The party is trailing by only three votes in the ninth seat.

Results are yet to come in from seven seats in the other islands.