General elections were held in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

on 17 November 2010 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The elections were won by the

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. From 1999 until 2005 it sometimes ...

, which won 16 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 78%. A binding

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on whether the number of MPs should be reduced from 24 was held at the same time as the election. Parliament will sit for the first time following the election in February 2011.

Background

The

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

government of Prime Minister

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 an ...

, which had governed since 2004, effectively collapsed in December 2009 after Finance Minister

Terepai Maoate Sir Terepai Tuamure Maoate (1 September 1934 – 9 July 2012) was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 18 November 1999 to 11 February 2002. He was a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party. Maoate was born in Rarotonga on 1 September ...

was sacked for his mishandling of a bid to buy the Toa fuel tank farm. This resulted in a mass-resignation of Democratic Party cabinet members, the expulsion of Marurai and his supporters, and the withdrawal of support for the government. Marurai then refused to reconvene Parliament in order to forestall a confidence vote. A formal split in the Democratic Party was averted in June 2010 when a party conference readmitted Marurai and the other Cabinet members, and appointed Deputy Prime Minister

Robert Wigmore Robert George Wigmore (8 September 1949 – 13 April 2012) was leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party from 2010 - 2012, and Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 2009 - 2010. He served as a Minister in the Cabinets of Robert Wo ...

as party leader, with

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 att ...

as his deputy. However, several senior MPs, including former leader

and former President

John Tangi John David Tangi (13 November 1950 – 1 August 2018) was a Cook Islands politician, MP, and Clerk of the Cook Islands Parliament. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Tangi was born in Alofi, Niue. He was educated at Nikao and Avarua prima ...

subsequently failed to win reselection and ran as independents. In the leadup to the election two sitting MPs announced their retirement:

Piho Rua Piho Rua (born 15 November 1954) is a Cook Islands politician and former member of the Cook Islands Parliament. Rua was born on Rakahanga and educated at Aitutaki Junior High School and Tereora College. He had a twenty-year career as a police o ...

and Speaker of the House

Mapu Taia Mapu Tangatatutai Taia (28 April 1939 - October 2015) was a Cook Islands politician. He served as Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament from 2006 to 2010. He was a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party and held the traditional title of K ...

. Both were members of the Democratic Party. Parliament was dissolved on 24 September. Candidate registration closed on 15 October. 70 candidates registered, including 24 from the Cook Islands Party, 23 from the Democrats, 6 from the Te Kura O Te ‘Au People's Movement and 16 independents. Of the 70 candidates, eight were women.

Campaign

The Democratic Party launched its campaign on October 7 in vaka Takitumu with the campaign slogan "Our Future. Now." The party promised stability, benefit increases, and public service cuts. It contested every electorate except Arutanga-Nikaupara-Reureu. The

launched their campaign on October 8, promising an increased child benefit, a $1000 "baby bonus", water tanks for every household and to address the cost of living. They also promised to prevent "reckless" public spending by making Ministers and public servants personally liable for any misspent funds.

Opinion polls

On 11 September 2010, a poll of 182 voters conducted by the ''Cook Islands News'' reported that the Democratic Party had 33% support, the Cook Islands Party 26%, and independents 14%. The

margin of error The margin of error is a statistic expressing the amount of random sampling error in the results of a survey. The larger the margin of error, the less confidence one should have that a poll result would reflect the result of a census of the ent ...

of the poll was 7%. A poll of 100 Rarotongans conducted by the ''Cook Islands Herald'' on 1 November found that 24% named Democratic Party leader

as their preferred Prime Minister, 18% preferred

, 8% Prime Minister

, 5% Cook Islands Party leader

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 th ...

, 2% CIP deputy

Teina Bishop Teina Bishop (born 11 April 1959) is a Cook Islands politician, former Cabinet Minister, and leader of the One Cook Islands Movement. He was jailed for corruption in 2016. Bishop was born in Aitutaki and was educated at Araura Primary school ...

and 10% others, with 33% undecided.

Results

The election resulted in a two-thirds majority for the Cook Islands Party. Following the election, CIP leader

was sworn in as Prime Minister. Four electoral petitions were subsequently lodged, challenging the results in the electorates of

Pukapuka Pukapuka, formerly Danger Island, is a coral atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of most remote islands of the Cook Islands, situated about northwest of Rarotonga. On this small island, an ancient ...

Rakahanga Rakahanga is part of the Cook Islands, situated in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. The unspoilt atoll is from the Cook Islands' capital, Rarotonga, and lies south of the equator. Its nearest neighbour is Manihiki which is just away. Rakah ...

Tamarua Tamarua (previously Mangonui) is one of the six traditional districts of the island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands. It is located in the southeast of the island, to the south of the District of Ivirua and east of the District of Veitatei. The dis ...

and Vaipae-Tautu. The petitions were heard in January and February 2011. The results in Rakahanga and Tamarua were upheld.

By electorate

Preliminary results

References

{{Cook Islands elections Elections 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 (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...