2018 Cook Islands general election

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 14 June 2018 to elect the 24 members of the 17th Cook Islands Parliament.^[1][2]

2018 Cook Islands general election

← 2014 14 June 2018 2022 →

All 24 seats in Parliament 13 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– Cook Islands Henry Puna 42.30 10 −2 Democratic Tina Browne 41.91 11 +1 One Cook Islands Teina Bishop 10.81 1 −1 Independents – 3.77 2 +2 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Results of the election by constituency. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after election Henry Puna Cook Islands Henry Puna Cook Islands

The nationalist Cook Islands Party, led by the Prime Minister, Henry Puna, attempted to win a third consecutive term in government. However, the elections resulted in a hung parliament, with the opposition Democratic Party led by Tina Browne becoming the largest party, although Browne failed to win a seat, losing in Rakahanga constituency.

The Democratic Party won 11 seats, the Cook Islands Party 10 seats, One Cook Islands Movement one seat, with independent candidates winning two seats.^[3] Following the election, the Cook Islands Party joined forces with the independents and One Cook Islands to retain power.^[4]

Electoral system

The Cook Islands a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. Its government uses the Westminster system, with the 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting.^[5] The Parliamentary term is four years. As of 12 June 2018, there were 10,917 people enrolled to vote in the elections.^[6]

Results

Final results were published on 28 June.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Cook Islands Party	3,654	42.30	10	–2
	Democratic Party	3,620	41.91	11	+1
	One Cook Islands Movement	934	10.81	1	–1
	Titikaveka Oire	97	1.12	0	0
	Alternative Must Ravenga Openga	7	0.08	0	New
	Independents	326	3.77	2	+2
Total		8,638	100.00	24	0
Source: Cook Islands Gazette[7]

By electorate

Akaoa

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Nooroa o Teariki Baker	233	53.8
	Cook Islands	Teariki Heather	200	46.2
Turnout			433
	Democratic gain from Cook Islands		Swing

Amuri–Ureia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Terepai Maoate Jnr	192	59.3
	Cook Islands	Toanui Isamaela	132	40.7
Turnout			324
	Democratic gain from Cook Islands		Swing

Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Tereapii Maki-Kavana	180	51.6
	One Cook Islands	Pumati Israela	169	48.4
Turnout			349
	Cook Islands gain from One Cook Islands		Swing

Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Albert Nicholas	305	52.9
	Democratic	Teina Rongo	272	47.1
Turnout			577
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Ivirua

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Anthony Toruariki Armstrong	52	61.2
	Cook Islands	Marion Harry	33	38.8
Turnout			85
	Democratic hold		Swing

Manihiki

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Henry Puna	97	74.0
	Democratic	Apii Piho	34	26.0
Turnout			131
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Matavera

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Vaitoti Tupa	298	51.8
	Cook Islands	Kiriau Turepu	277	48.2
Turnout			575
	Democratic gain from Cook Islands		Swing

Mauke

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Tai Tura	68	39.1
	One Cook Islands	Tungane Williams	67	38.5
	Democratic	Belezadala Tangata William Tararo	39	22.4
Turnout			174
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Mitiaro

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Tuakeu Tangatapoto	58	53.7
	Democratic	Tangata Vavia	50	46.3
Turnout			108
	Cook Islands gain from Democratic		Swing

Murienua

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Patrick Arioka	223	50.1
	Democratic	James Beer	152	34.2
	One Cook Islands	Teariki Taraare Unuka	70	15.7
Turnout			445
	Cook Islands gain from Democratic		Swing

Ngatangiia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Tamaiva Tuavera	278	54.1
	Cook Islands	Tukaka Ama	236	45.9
Turnout			514
	Democratic hold		Swing

Nikao–Panama

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Vaine Mokoroa	511	65.3
	Democratic	Ngamau Munokoa	271	34.6
Turnout			782
	Cook Islands gain from Democratic		Swing

Oneroa

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Wesley Kareroa	118	67.4
	Cook Islands	Teina Ngametuatoe	57	32.6
Turnout			175
	Democratic hold		Swing

Penrhyn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Robert Tapaitau	54	46.1
	Cook Islands	Willie John	34	29.1
	Democratic	Wilkie Rasmussen	29	24.8
Turnout			117
	Independent gain from Democratic		Swing

Pukapuka–Nassau

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Tingika Elikana	143	52.4
	Democratic	Junior Willie Katoa	130	47.6
Turnout			273
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Rakahanga

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Toka Hagai	39	61.9
	Democratic	Tina Browne	24	38.1
Turnout			63
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Ruaau

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	William (Smiley) Heather	354	53.7
	Cook Islands	Arama Joseph Wichman	305	46.3
Turnout			659
	Democratic hold		Swing

Takuvaine–Tutakimoa

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Cook Islands	Mark Brown	321	66.2
	Democratic	Teokotai George	155	32.0
	Independent	George Pitt	9	1.9
Turnout			485
	Cook Islands hold		Swing

Tamarua

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Tetangi Matapo	31	59.6
	Cook Islands	Mia Teaurima	21	40.4
Turnout			52
	Democratic hold		Swing

Teenui–Mapumai

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rose Toki-Brown	77	66.4
	Cook Islands	Tereapii Porio	31	26.7
	Democratic	Tania Akai	8	6.9
Turnout			116
	Independent gain from Cook Islands		Swing

Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Te-Hani Brown	71	56.3
	Cook Islands	Nandi Glassie	48	38.1
	Alternative Must Ravenga Openga	Norman George	7	5.6
Turnout			126
	Democratic gain from Cook Islands		Swing

Titikaveka

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Selina Napa	225	31.6
	Cook Islands	Moeroa Thomas-Tamangaro	184	25.8
	Independent	Margharet Matenga	138	19.4
	Titikaveka Oire	Teava Iro	97	13.6
	One Cook Islands	John Tumutoa	69	9.7
Turnout			713
	Democratic hold		Swing

Tupapa–Maraerenga

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	One Cook Islands	George Angene	559	53.8
	Democratic	Lee Harmon	433	41.6
	Independent	Teresa Manarangi-Trott	48	4.6
Turnout			1040
	One Cook Islands hold		Swing

Vaipae–Tautu

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Kitai Teinakore	171	53.1
	Cook Islands	Mona Ioane	151	46.9
Turnout			322
	Democratic hold		Swing

By island

Popular vote
Island	CIP	Democratic	Total votes
Rarotonga	41.84%	44.06%	6,223
Other islands	43.47%	36.35%	2,415

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-election				Post-election
	Party		Member	Percentage	Percentage	Member	Party
Akaoa		CIP	Teariki Heather	52.1	53.8	Nooroa o Teariki Baker	Democratic
Amuri-Ureia		CIP	Toanui Isamaela	57.8	59.3	Terepai Maoate Jnr	Democratic
Arutanga-Reureu-Nikaupara		OCI	Pumati Israela	68.2	51.6	Tereapii Maki-Kavana	CIP
Matavera		CIP	Kiriau Turepu	51.2	51.8	Vaitoti Tupa	Democratic
Mitiaro		Democratic	Tangata Vavia	50.5	53.7	Tuakeu Tangatapoto	CIP
Murienua		Democratic	James Beer	50.4	50.1	Patrick Arioka	CIP
Nikao-Panama		Democratic	Ngamau Munokoa	64.1	65.3	Vaine Mokoroa	CIP
Penrhyn		Democratic	Wilkie Rasmussen	46.6	46.1	Robert Tapaitau	Independent
Teenui-Mapumai		CIP	Tereapii Porio	54.6	66.4	Rose Toki-Brown	Independent
Tengatangi-Areora-Ngatiarua		CIP	Nandi Glassie	54.7	56.3	Te-Hani Brown	Democratic

Aftermath

Although the Democratic Party won the most seats, neither leader Tina Browne nor Deputy Leader James Beer were elected to Parliament. The constitution of the Cook Islands requires the Prime Minister to be a member of parliament.^[8]

On 7 July the Cook Islands party formed an alliance with independent MPs Rose Toki-Brown and Robert Tapaitau, and One Cook Islands movement's George Maggie to retain power.^[9] Toki-Brown, Tapaitau and Maggie were all appointed to Cabinet, replacing Ministers who had lost their seats.

Six electoral petitions were filed, challenging the results in Rakahanga, Murienua, Pukapuka-Nassau, Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston, Ngatangiia, and Mauke.^[10] However, all of these petitions were rejected, confirming the result of the election.^[11] Rakahanga MP Toka Hagai resigned on 1 November 2018 after allegations of treating.^[12] In December 2018 the Court of Appeal ruled that Tina Browne had won the seat.^[13]