2022 Cook Islands general election

2022 Cook Islands general election
Cook Islands
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All 24 seats in Parliament
13 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader % Seats +/–
Cook Islands Mark Brown 44.07 12 +2
Democratic Tina Browne 26.93 5 −6
Cook Islands United Teariki Heather 18.81 3 New
OCI George Turia 2.68 1 0
Independents – 7.31 3 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results of the election by constituency.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after election
Mark Brown
Cook Islands		 Mark Brown
Cook Islands
Politics of the Cook Islands

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 1 August 2022.[1][2] A referendum on legalising medical cannabis was held on the same day.[3]

Background

In the 2018 general election, the Democratic Party won a plurality with 11 seats but fell short of the 13 required to form a government. The incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP), led by then-prime minister Henry Puna won 10 seats; the One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) secured a single seat, and independents won the remaining two.[4] The CIP remained in government due to the support of the OCI and independents.[5]

In October 2020, Puna resigned as prime minister to run for secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. Deputy prime minister Mark Brown succeeded Puna as prime minister and leader of the Cook Islands Party. Brown appointed Robert Tapaitau deputy prime minister.[6]

Electoral system

The 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands were elected from single-member electorates by first-past-the-post voting.[7]

Campaign

The Progressive Party of the Cook Islands was launched in October 2019 to contest the election.[8]

The One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) announced its candidates in November 2021.[9] However, they caused controversy by claiming Toanui Isamaela and Teina Bishop would stand as joint OCI–Democratic Party candidates; this was denied by the Democratic Party, which stated it would be announcing its own candidates and there was no alliance with the OCI.[10]

In December 2021 the new Cook Islands United Party, founded by former Deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather in 2018, announced eleven candidates for the elections.[11]

Opinion polls

Preferred Prime Minister

Pollster Date Sample size Brown Browne Heather Others Undecided
Cook Islands News[12] July 2022 120 44.2% 10.8% 16.7% 14.2% 8.3%

Results

Initial projections showed the Cook Islands Party with 10 seats, the Democrats with 6, the new Cook Islands United Party with 4, and independents with 3. The seat of Ngatangiia was tied, with the CIP and United candidates on 171 votes each.[13] The final vote count showed the CIP with 12 seats, after it won Ngatangiia and Titikaveka, where the United Party candidate originally had had a six vote lead.[14] The Democrats won five seats, United three, the One Cook Islands Movement one and independents three.

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Cook Islands Party3,89044.07+1.7712+2
Democratic Party2,37726.93-14.985–6
Cook Islands United Party1,66018.81New3New
One Cook Islands Movement2372.68-8.1310
Progressive Party of the Cook Islands180.20New0New
Independents6457.31+3.543+1
Total8,827100.00–240
Source: MFEM

Aftermath

The CIP began coalition talks on 4 August, and announced that it planned to continue its arrangements with two independents.[15] The United Party ruled out working with the CIP.[15] On 5 August the CIP announced they had secured the support of independents Te-Hani Brown and Rose Toki-Brown for a governing coalition.[16] On 12 August Mark Brown was reappointed Prime Minister.[17][18] On 25 August 2022 independent MP Stephen Matapo joined the Cook Islands Party, giving the government a total of 15 seats.[19][20]

Following the election, electoral petitions were filed challenging the results in Mitiaro, Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua, Teenui–Mapumai, Titikaveka and Amuri–Ureia, as well as an application for a recount in Tupapa–Maraerenga.[21][22] Due to the time taken to resolve the petitions, the Cook Islands Parliament did not sit for the rest of the year, and will not sit until at least March 2023.[23]

The final electoral petition was not resolved until 11 March 2023, when the High Court confirmed that Sonny Williams had won the seat of Titikaveka.[24] Parliament sat for the first time and new MPs were sworn in on 21 March 2023.[25]

References

  1. ^ Pita Ligaiula (14 June 2022). "Cook Islands Parliament dissolved, election 01 August". PINA. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Cook Islanders go to the polls on August 1". RNZ. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  3. ^ Final vote count next week, says chief electoral officer
  4. ^ Keay, Jaimie (14 June 2018). "2018 General Election Live Blog". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Cook Islands Party gets backing of three more MPs". RNZ. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Mark Brown is the new Cook Islands PM". RNZ. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Cook Islands 2014 elections in brief" (PDF). Electoral Office.
  8. ^ "New political party to launch in Cook Islands". RNZ. 14 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Aitutaki One Cook Islands/Demo announce candidates for 2022 Elections". Cook Islands News. 17 November 2021.
  10. ^ "'No OCI/Demo coalition whatsoever'". Cook Islands News. 20 November 2021.
  11. ^ "'United' we stand". Cook Islands News. 3 December 2021.
  12. ^ Solomon, Sian (30 July 2022). "Mark Brown country's 'preferred PM'". Cook Islands News. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Cooks' newcomers make impact but PM's party in strong position". RNZ. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Ruling party in Cook Islands closer to power after gaining seats". RNZ. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Coalition talks start to form new Cook Islands government". RNZ. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  16. ^ Matthew Littlewood (5 August 2022). "'Super Browns' side CIP in coalition talks". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  17. ^ Matthew Littlewood (12 August 2022). "Brown reappointed PM". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Mark Brown confirmed as Cook Islands prime minister". RNZ. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Matapo joins CIP". Cook Islands News. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  20. ^ Caleb Fotheringham (26 August 2022). "CIP move good for Mauke, says new-elected MP Matapo". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  21. ^ Matthew Littlewood (19 August 2022). "Five electoral petitions filed in High Court". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Electoral petitions lodged in the Cook Islands". RNZ. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Cooks' PM vows to change law as parliament delayed by petitions". RNZ. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  24. ^ Matthew Littlewood (11 March 2023). "Williams declared Titikaveka MP". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  25. ^ Melina Etches (22 March 2023). "'We're in business now', MPs sworn in seven months after general election". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 23 March 2023.