Cook Islands general election, 2004
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in the Cook Islands
on 7 September 2004. Initial results showed the Democratic Party
winning by a wide margin, but close results led to 11 electoral petitions being filed, delaying the date Parliament could sit until mid-December. In the interim, Prime Minister
Robert Woonton
announced that he was forming a coalition government with the rival Cook Islands Party
. This led to a split within the Democrats, with Woonton and four other MPs leaving to form the Demo Tumu Party
. With 14 MPs, the coalition had a comfortable majority in Parliament.
The results of the electoral petitions saw the seat of Titikaveka change hands while Woonton's seat was a dead tie. Woonton subsequently resigned in order to fight a by-election
, causing his government to be dissolved. He was succeeded by his deputy, Jim Marurai
.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
on 7 September 2004. Initial results showed the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Cook Islands)
The Democratic Party is a liberal political party in the Cook Islands. It is currently the Opposition party in the Cook Islands Parliament.-Early years:...
winning by a wide margin, but close results led to 11 electoral petitions being filed, delaying the date Parliament could sit until mid-December. In the interim, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands is the official rsponsible for heading Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's government in the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. The office was established in 1965, when self-government was first granted to the islands...
Robert Woonton
Robert Woonton
Dr Robert Woonton was the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 11 February 2002 until 11 December 2004, and is a member of the centrist Democratic Party. A medical doctor by training, he became a Member of Parliament for the island of Manihiki...
announced that he was forming a coalition government with the rival Cook Islands Party
Cook Islands Party
The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....
. This led to a split within the Democrats, with Woonton and four other MPs leaving to form the Demo Tumu Party
Cook Islands First Party
The Cook Islands First Party was a political party in the Cook Islands. The party was originally a faction within the Cook Islands Democratic Party which supported Prime Minister Robert Woonton over Terepai Maoate...
. With 14 MPs, the coalition had a comfortable majority in Parliament.
The results of the electoral petitions saw the seat of Titikaveka change hands while Woonton's seat was a dead tie. Woonton subsequently resigned in order to fight a by-election
Manihiki by-election 2005
The 2005 Manihiki by-election was a by-election in the Cook Islands electorate of Manihiki. It was held on 8 February 2005, shortly after the 2004 general election, and was precipitated by an electoral petition finding the result in the seat to be a dead tie...
, causing his government to be dissolved. He was succeeded by his deputy, Jim Marurai
Jim Marurai
Jim Marurai is a Cook Islands politician and former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Personal life:...
.