Constitution Of The Cook Islands
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Constitution Of The Cook Islands
The politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a Parliamentary system, parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy. The Monarchy in New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's Representative, was the Head of State (most assume the constitution will now be amended to recognise King Charles III); the prime minister is the head of government of a multi-party system. The nation is self-governing and are fully responsible for internal and foreign affairs. Since 2001, the Cook Islands has run its own foreign and defence policy. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and Parliament of the Cook Islands, the islands' parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislatures. Constitution The Constitution of the Cook Islands took effect on August 4, 1965, when the Cook Islands became a Self-government, self-governing territo ...
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Parliamentary System
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the legislature, typically a parliament, to which it is accountable. In a parliamentary system, the head of state is usually a person distinct from the head of government. This is in contrast to a presidential system, where the head of state often is also the head of government and, most importantly, where the executive does not derive its democratic legitimacy from the legislature. Countries with parliamentary systems may be constitutional monarchies, where a monarch is the head of state while the head of government is almost always a member of parliament, or parliamentary republics, where a mostly ceremonial president is the head of state while the head of government is regularly from the legislature. In a few parliamentary republics, among ...
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Tom Marsters
Sir Tom John Marsters, (born 4 August 1945) is the seventh and current King's Representative to the Cook Islands (formerly Queen's Representative). He is a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Foreign Minister, and Deputy Leader of the Cook Islands Party. Personal life Marsters was born on Palmerston Island and educated at Nikao and Avarua Primary Schools before attending Avele Agriculture College in Samoa and Grimsby Institute of Technology in the United Kingdom. Before entering politics he worked as a public servant. He was Secretary of the Cook Islands Party from 1968 to 1999. He was first elected to Parliament for the seat of Murienua in a by-election in 1991. Cabinet Marsters served as Minister of Works in the Cabinet of Sir Geoffrey Henry, but resigned his position in 1997 in protest at budget cuts. He later served as Minister of Works, Youth, Sport and Recreation in the first coalition Cabinet of Robert Woonton from 2002, but was sacked in 2003 afte ...
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Mana
According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a source of power. It is an intentional force. In the 19th century, scholars compared ''mana'' to similar concepts such as the ''orenda'' of the Iroquois Indians and theorized that ''mana'' was a universal phenomenon that explained the origin of religions. ''Mana'' is not universal to all of Melanesia. Etymology The reconstructed Proto-Oceanic word "mana" is thought to have referred to "powerful forces of nature such as thunder and storm winds" rather than supernatural power. That meaning became detached as the Oceanic-speaking peoples spread eastward and the word started to refer to unseen supernatural powers. Polynesian culture ''Mana'' is a foundation of Polynesian theology, a spiritual quality with a supernatural origin and a sacr ...
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Koutu Nui
Koutu is a suburb of Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. Koutu was originally a home for the people of Ngati Whakaue and Ngāti Uenukukopako and has been in existence since before the establishment of Rotorua Township. It is located on the southwest shore of Lake Rotorua. The suburb has one marae. Koutu or Karenga Marae and Tumahaurangi meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāti Whakaue hapū of Ngāti Karenga. Transport Koutu sits on State Highway 5. Koutu received a railway in 1894 when the Rotorua Branch line opened. It operated for over a century. In 1989, the last 2.4 km into central Rotorua closed, and a goods yard near industries in Koutu became the end of the line. Passenger trains from Auckland had ceased operating in 1968, but, ironically, a new service began two years after the railway was cut back to Koutu. Called the ''Geyserland Express'', it first operated on 9 December 1991 and terminated at a small platform north of Lake ...
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House Of Ariki
The House of Ariki () is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs (''ariki''), appointed by the King's Representative. While it functions in a similar way to the House of Lords and the Senate of Canada, the country's parliament is officially unicameral. There are up to twenty-four members, representing different islands of the Cooks. Its function is to: :"consider such matters relative to the welfare of the people of the Cook Islands as may be submitted to it by arliamentfor its consideration, and it shall express its opinion and make recommendations thereon to arliament It may only discuss matters put to it by the democratically elected Parliament, and may only voice suggestions in return. Formation The establishment of the House of Ariki was suggested in May 1965 during negotiations on the new constitution of the Cook Islands prior to independence. The initial proposals were for it to have six Ariki from Rarotonga and eight fr ...
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Parliament Of The Cook Islands - 2006
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. The term is similar to the idea of a senate, synod or congress and is commonly used in countries that are current or former monarchies. Some contexts restrict the use of the word ''parliament'' to parliamentary systems, although it is also used to describe the legislature in some presidential systems (e.g., the Parliament of Ghana), even where it is not in the official name. Historically, parliaments included various kinds of deliberative, consultative, and judicial assemblies, an example being the French medieval and early modern parlements. Etymology The English term is derived from Anglo-Norman and dates to the 14th century, coming from the 11th century Old French , "discussion, discourse", from , meaning "to talk". The meaning evolved ...
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Henry Puna
Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a Cook Islands politician, and the current secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006 he has been leader of the Cook Islands Party. Puna was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands at the 2005 Manihiki by-election. He lost his seat at the 2006 election, but regained it in the CIP victory at the 2010 election which saw him elected prime minister. During his time as prime minister, he held various ministerial portfolios, including Foreign affairs, Marine Resources, and Energy. In June 2020 Puna announced his intention to stand down as prime minister in September to compete for the role of secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He stepped down from office on 1 October 2020. On 4 February 2021 he was elected as secretary-general, replacing Meg Taylor. Early life Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga b ...
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Jim Marurai
Jim Marurai (9 July 1947 – November 2020) was a Cook Islands politician who served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Personal life Marurai was born in Ivirua, Mangaia. He attended Ivirua and Oneroa Primary school and then Tereora College on Rarotonga and Napier Boys' High School in New Zealand. He later studied to be a teacher at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Marurai's wife, Tuaine Marurai, died on 14 September 2005 in Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 56 after suffering from cancer. She was buried on her home island of Mangaia. In March 2020 Marurai went missing from his home but was found after two days. He died in the first week of November 2020 in his home in Ivirua. Political career Marurai was first elected to Parliament in a by-election in 1994. He served as an opposition backbencher for his first term, and joined Norman George in splitting from the Democrats to form the New Alliance Party. Follo ...
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Robert Woonton
Robert Woonton (born 1949) is a Cook Islands politician and diplomat. He served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 11 February 2002 until 11 December 2004, and later as High Commissioner to New Zealand. He was a member of the centrist Democratic Party. Woonton trained as a medical doctor. He was first elected to the Cook Islands Parliament at the 1994 election. He was re-elected at the 1999 election. Following the premiership of Joe Williams, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Terepai Maoate as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Transport. In February 2001 he was removed as Transport Minister, but retained his Foreign Affairs portfolio. In July 2001, following the sacking of Norman George, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Prime Minister In February 2002 Woonton resigned his portfolios and tabled a motion of no confidence against Maoate. The motion failed, and Woonton returned to the government. Three days later, Maoate resigned after losing a second ...
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Democratic Alliance Party (Cook Islands)
The Democratic Party (also known for a time as the Democratic Alliance Party) is a political party in the Cook Islands. As a result of the 2018 Cook Islands election, it is currently the largest party in the Cook Islands Parliament. Early years The Democratic Party was founded by Tom Davis in 1971, in opposition to the Cook Islands Party (CIP) of Albert Henry. In the 1972 election, it won eight seats, breaking the two-thirds majority of the CIP. In 1978, it won power, with Davis becoming Prime Minister. It became one of the two primary parties of the Cook Islands, alternating in power with the CIP. Davis served as prime minister of the Cook Islands from 1978 to 1987, with a brief interruption in 1983 when the Cook Islands briefly returned to power. The Democratic Party remained in power until 1989. In the late 1990s, the party experienced a split, with the majority of the party renamed as the Democratic Alliance Party. A breakaway faction led by Norman George was named th ...
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