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Wilkie Rasmussen
Wilkie Olaf Patua Rasmussen (born 21 March 1958) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. From 2013 to 2015 he was leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party. Early life Rasmussen was born in Omoka on Penrhyn Island. He attended the University of Auckland, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Laws. After practising as a barrister and solicitor, he became Secretary to the Cook Islands Cabinet, then High Commissioner to New Zealand from 2000 to 2002. Political career Rasmussen first stood for Parliament in 1985, contesting the seat of Penrhyn after Tangaroa Tangaroa resigned to become Queen's Representative. He ran again as a candidate for the Democratic Alliance in the 1999 election, but was unsuccessful. In 2002 he resigned as High Commissioner to New Zealand to contest the 2002 Penrhyn by-election as Cook Islands Party candidate, and was elected. Early in his political career he challenged the eligibility of two Governm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Penrhyn Island
Penrhyn (also called Tongareva, Māngarongaro, Hararanga, and Te Pitaka) is an atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. The northernmost island in the group, it is located at north-north-east of the capital island of Rarotonga, 9 degrees south of the equator. Its nearest neighbours are Rakahanga and Manihiki, approximately to the southwest. Once one of the most heavily populated atolls, it was almost completely depopulated by Peruvian slavers in 1864. Geography Penrhyn is a roughly circular coral atoll with a circumference of approximately , enclosing a lagoon with an area of . The atoll is atop the highest submarine volcano in the Cook Islands, rising from the ocean floor. The atoll is low-lying, with a maximum elevation of less than . The total land area is . The atoll rim consists of 18 major islets. Clockwise, from the Northwest, these are: * Tokerau * Painko * Ruahara * Takuua * Veseru * Tuirai * Pokerekere Islet * Kavea * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Foreign Minister
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between countries. The foreign minister typically reports to the head of government (such as prime minister or president). Difference in titles In some nations, such as India, the foreign minister is referred to as the minister for external affairs; or others, such as Brazil and the states created from the former Soviet Union, call the position the minister of external relations. In the United States, the secretary of state is the member of the Cabinet who handles foreign relations. Other common titles may include minister of foreign relations. In many countries of Latin America, the foreign minister is colloquially called "chancellor" (''canciller'' in the Spanish-speaking countries and ''chanceler'' in the Portuguese-speaking Brazil). Diplomats ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coalition Government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in nations with majoritarian electoral systems, but common under proportional representation. A coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis (for example, during wartime or economic crisis) to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy or collective identity, it can also play a role in diminishing internal political strife. In such times, parties have formed all-party coalitions ( national unity governments, grand coalitions). If a coalition collapses, the Prime Minister and cabinet may be ousted by a vote of no confidence, call snap elections, form a new majority coalition, or continue as a minority government. Coalition agreement In multi-party states, a coalition agre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2004 Cook Islands General Election
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 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 th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Civil Service
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil servant, also known as a public servant, is a person employed in the public sector by a government department or agency for public sector undertakings. Civil servants work for central and state governments, and answer to the government, not a political party. The extent of civil servants of a state as part of the "civil service" varies from country to country. In the United Kingdom (UK), for instance, only Crown (national government) employees are referred to as "civil servants" whereas employees of local authorities (counties, cities and similar administrations) are generally referred to as "local government civil service officers", who are considered public servants but not civil servants. Thus, in the UK, a civil servant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2002 Penrhyn By-election
The Penrhyn by-election was a by-election in the Cook Islands electorate of Penrhyn. It was held on 27 June 2002, and was precipitated by the disqualification of Tepure Tapaitau. The poll was won by the Cook Islands Party's Wilkie Rasmussen Wilkie Olaf Patua Rasmussen (born 21 March 1958) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. From 2013 to 2015 he was leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party. Early life Rasmussen was born in Omoka on Penrhyn Island. He at .... References {{reflist By-elections in the Cook Islands 2002 elections in Oceania 2002 in the Cook Islands Penrhyn atoll ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1999 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 16 June 1999 to elect 25 MPs to the Parliament. The Cook Islands Party won 11 seats, the Democratic Alliance Party 10 seats, and the New Alliance Party 4 seats. Results Aftermath Following the elections, the CIP formed a coalition with the NAP, with Geoffrey Henry as Prime Minister and NAP leader Norman George as his deputy. However, three members of the CIP subsequently quit the party and joined the Democrats, forcing Henry's resignation. Joe Williams subsequently became Prime Minister, but was forced to resign in November following a by-election and further coalition realignment. Finally, the Democratic party's Terepai Maoate became Prime Minister, with George as his deputy. References Elections in the Cook Islands Cook 1999 in the Cook Islands Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parliament Of The Cook Islands
The Parliament of the Cook Islands ( rar, Pāremeta te Kuku Airani) is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand’s United Nations mandate it became the national legislature on independence in 1965. The Parliament consists of 24 members directly elected by universal suffrage from single-seat constituencies. Members are elected for a limited term, and hold office until Parliament is dissolved (a maximum of four years). It meets in Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands, on Rarotonga. The Cook Islands follows the Westminster system of government, and is governed by a cabinet and Prime Minister commanding a majority in Parliament. The Speaker of the House is currently Tai Tura. The Deputy Speaker is Tingika Elikana. History The Cook Islands Parliament ( rar, Kuku Airani Pāremeta) is descended from the Cook Islands Legislative Council established in October 1946. Established to provide for political representation and better local ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and giving expert legal opinions. Barristers are distinguished from both solicitors and chartered legal executives, who have more direct access to clients, and may do transactional legal work. It is mainly barristers who are appointed as judges, and they are rarely hired by clients directly. In some legal systems, including those of Scotland, South Africa, Scandinavia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, the word ''barrister'' is also regarded as an honorific title. In a few jurisdictions, barristers are usually forbidden from "conducting" litigation, and can only act on the instructions of a solicitor, and increasingly - chartered legal executives, who perform tasks such as cor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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