Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 michael bevacqua, monica c labriola, kelly g marsh, clement yow mulalap, tyrone j taitano Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 mary tuti baker, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, christina newport, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 28, Number 1, 171–244 © 2016 by University of Hawai‘i Press 171 Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 Reviews of American Sāmoa, Niue, year. In order to form a government, a Sāmoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and political party needs 12 of the 24 par- Wallis and Futuna are not included in liamentary seats. The general election this issue. saw fifty-four candidates, including seven women, contest the twenty-four Cook Islands constituencies. The preliminary results On the eve of celebrating half a cen- had the Democratic Party ahead with tury of constitutional self-governing in 11 seats, the Cook Islands Party with the Cook Islands, the period in review 10 seats, and the One Cook Islands was dominated by the aftermath of Party with 2 seats. The Tamarua seat the July 2014 general election. This of the island of Mangaia was tied. included nine court petitions, two Counting of special and postal by-elections, and one defection. The votes saw the final results swing to results saw the Cook Islands Party give the Cook Islands Party 13 seats. return to power with a one-seat major- The Democratic Party losses included ity to lead the country for the remain- the defeat of their leader, Wilkie Ras- der of the four-year parliamentary mussen from the island of Penrhyn. term. Public voices were raised and The Mitiaro Island seat was also tied. rallied during the year under review. A Of course, matters did not end key area of concern included marine there, with nine petitions lodged in resource management and purse-seine court. Three petitions were with- fishing. Along with preparations for drawn, with the remaining heard by the celebrations of fifty years of inde- the court. Petition dismissals saw pendence, the relationship of the Cook Nandi Glassie and first-timer Rose Islands with New Zealand came under Toki Brown survive petitions alleging scrutiny. Eyebrows were raised over bribery. They took up office as Cook the Cook Islands’ interest in pursuing Islands Party representatives for the United Nations (UN) membership. Island of Atiu (CIN, 18 Sept 2014). The The portability of the New Zealand petition concerning the Manihiki seat Superannuation for Cook Islander held by Prime Minister Henry Puna residents in New Zealand also stirred was also dismissed following claims interest. Both of the latter issues of bribery and unqualified voters highlighted the fact that the Cook (CIN, 10 Sept 2015). The Tamarua seat Islands can certainly be heard but not petition based on voter ineligibility necessarily heeded in the domestic was proved. This enabled the seat to and international policy spaces of its be secured by Tetangi Matapo as the sovereign partner and colonial master, third female Member of Parliament New Zealand. for the Democratic Party, following a Electoral uncertainty pervaded the recount. 204 political reviews • polynesia 205 By this stage of the proceedings, Party candidate Kete Ioane. In the Finance Minister Mark Brown called midst of his campaign for the Vaipae- for electoral reforms, as a number of Tautu by-election, Ioane, age sixty- petitions were based on voter ineligi- four, died in New Zealand following bility. He advocated the “establish- a short illness. He was known as a ment of a fulltime electoral office and quiet achiever and humble man whose chief registrar” (Pacific Scoop, 28 Sept organizational skills brought many 2014). By October 2014, the Cook projects to fruition. He was consid- Islands Party held a one-seat majority ered a man of the people and for the as it awaited the outcome of the court people. His career as a Member of action to decide on the Mitiaro draw Parliament began in 1999. His port- and a Vaipae-Tautu petition. folios included Environment, National The tied Mitiaro result of 50 votes Heritage, House of Ariki, Parliamen- each saw the Democratic Party first tary Services, and the Outer Islands lodging in court a petition claiming (CIN, 16 Feb 2015). bribery and treating in the run-up to As many mourned Ioane’s passing, the election and then withdrawing the a new date for the by-election was set petition. In November, this late with- for 31 March 2015. Previously the drawal was successfully appealed by Democratic Party–One Cook Islands the Cook Islands Party. On hearing the Party coalition had Teina Bishop matter, Chief Justice Thomas Weston acting as Ioane’s campaign manager. deemed one voter ineligible. The However, instead of supporting Kete subsequent recount saw long- serving Ioane’s replacement, the One Cook Democratic Party member Tangata Islands Party named retired school Vavia receive 50 votes, just ahead of principal Amiria Davey as its candi- Tuakeu Tangatapoto’s 49 votes. In date. Davey had originally been in December, High Court Judge Hugh the running to be the new Democratic Williams dismissed the Cook Islands Party candidate (CIN, 4 March 2015). Party challenge over the eligibility of In honor of her husband, Teinakore three voters, thereby upholding the Ioane was named the Democratic recent recount results. Not content Party candidate to stand against Davey to let this result lie, the Cook Islands and the Cook Islands Party candidate, Party unsuccessfully took the mat- Mona Ioane. This inclusion of a third ter to the Court of Appeal in New candidate gave an inkling that all was Zealand, as one voter had chosen to not well in the Democratic Party camp leave Mitiaro for medical reasons (CIN, or in its coalition with the One Cook 18 Feb 2015). Once all petitions had Islands Party. been heard in December, the Cook Unfortunately the Democratic Party Islands Party had 11 seats, the Demo- suffered yet another loss. Despite his cratic Party had 10, One Cook Islands win as a Democratic Party candidate Party had 2 seats, and a by-election for the Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston was ordered for the Aitutaki electorate electorate, first time Member of Par- of Vaipae-Tautu. liament Albert Nicholas then crossed Sadly, February 2015 saw the the floor to join the Cook Islands unexpected passing of Democratic Party. This one seat shift took the 206 the contemporary pacific • 28:1 (2016) Cook Islands Party numbers from 11 general election, former policeman to 12, giving it enough to form a gov- and lawyer Mona Ioane was accused ernment. Enticed by a seat in cabinet, of bribery in December 2014. The Nicholas now held portfolios includ- matter was referred to the police com- ing Internal Affairs, Ombudsman, missioner for investigation, and the Youth and Sports, and the govern- election result was declared void. At ment-managed marketplace in Avatiu, the time, Ioane had been appointed the Punanga Nui. as the cabinet minister for Educa- Nicholas’s party hop had been two tion, Justice, and Marine Resources; months in the planning. He considered however, Prime Minister Puna consid- this move as representing a coalition ered it improper to bestow a cabinet between his constituency commit- seat on Ioane while the case was under tee, the Cook Islands Party, and the police investigation (CIN, 27 April people of his constituency. In addition 2015). By the end of the period under to being an arrangement that would review, no charges had been laid. If benefit the constituency, he believed charged and then found guilty, Ioane that he was “doing this in the hope would have to vacate his seat and a that it gives political certainty to our by-election would have to be held. country” (CIN, 25 March 2015). This A second police investigation of sentiment was shared by Prime Min- a political leader also remains unre- ister Puna. Of course this was not the solved. The corruption investigation view of the Democratic Party, which of Aitutaki Member of Parliament condemned Nicholas for his actions. Teina Bishop continues to linger Under the anti–party hopping provi- into its second year. Since July 2013, sion of the 2004 Electoral Act, Mem- investigators have continued to look bers of Parliament who switch parties into allegations of bribery and cor- cannot vote on matters of appro- ruption leveled against Bishop when priation or confidence in the prime he was minister of Marine Resources. minister. This effectively means that if Included in the investigation are Nicholas votes to support the govern- his relations with Huanan Fishery ment on such matters, his seat can be (Cook Islands) Company, a subsidiary declared vacant, forcing yet another of Luen Thai Fishing Venture. No by-election (CIN, 16 March 2015). charges have been filed in connection However, no such opportunities with the long-running investigation, arose. Days after Nicholas’s move, the and Bishop has frequently expressed Aitutaki by-election saw Cook Islands his exasperation at the delays in Party candidate Mona Ioane voted bringing the matter to a close (CIN, back in. The remaining votes were 16 March 2015). As with Ioane, if he split between Davey and Teinakore is charged and then found guilty, he Ioane. The win gave the Cook Islands will also have to vacate his seat and Party a thirteen-seat majority and the another by-election must be held. ability to govern unencumbered. Overall, the results have shown that Despite the win, all is not settled all has not gone well for the Demo- for the troubled seat of Vaipae-Tautu.