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1978 Cook Islands general election

FieldValue
countryCook Islands
previous_election1974
next_electionMarch 1983
election_date30 March 1978
seats_for_election22 seats in the Legislative Assembly
majority_seats13
nopercentageyes
party1Cook Islands Party
leader1Albert Henry
seats115
last_election114
party2Democratic Party (Cook Islands)
leader2Thomas Davis
seats27
last_election28
titlePremier
before_electionAlbert Henry
before_partyCook Islands Party
after_electionAlbert Henry
after_partyCook Islands Party

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 30 March 1978 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly. The result was a victory for the Cook Islands Party (CIP) of Premier Albert Henry, which won 15 of the 22 seats. The Democratic Party won the remaining seven seats.

Following the elections, the Democratic Party challenged the results, claiming Henry had used public funds to subsidise flights that brought expatriate CIP supporters back to the Cook Islands to vote, which cost around $300,000. The election of nine CIP MPs was subsequently overturned by an electoral court, allowing Democratic Party leader Tom Davis – who had lost his seat before being reinstated as a result of the ruling – to become Premier. Henry was subsequently convicted of conspiracy and misuse of public money, and later stripped of his knighthood.

Background

Elections were called six months early by Henry, hoping to capitalise on divisions in the Democratic Party during a leadership challenge. Prior to the elections, three prominent CIP members, William Estall, Raui Pokoati and Joe Williams, left the party. Williams subsequently established the Unity Party.

As overseas voting was not possible, Cook Islanders had to return to the islands to vote. Special polling stations were set up at Rarotonga International Airport. Both the CIP and the Democratic Party persuaded supporters to fly from New Zealand, with six planeloads of CIP supporters travelling at a subsidised cost of $20 each, and two planeloads of Democratic Party supporters, who paid the full fare. Around 800 supporters of the CIP were transported on Ansett planes, with Democratic Party supporters travelling by Air Nauru.

Results

By electorate

ConstituencyCandidateVotes
Aitutaki–ManuaeKura Strickland654
Geoffrey Henry639
Ngereteina Puna636
Matai Simiona252
Koekoe John Mokotupu203
Sadaraka Metuakore Sadaraka194
William John Estall65
Tere Aaron Marsters53
AtiuVainerere Tangatapoto252
Tangata Simiona247
Franco Mateariki212
Tepou Boaza209
Paul Pomani Tangata7
MangaiaPapamama Pokino370
Matepi Matepi367
Torotoro Kimiravenga160
Tere Evangelia Aratangi140
ManihikiGeorge Frederick Ellis Jr.92
Epinisa Toma64
MaukeTupui Ariki Henry188
Julian Dashwood72
MitiaroDavid Tetava66
Raui Pokoati49
Celina James Scott2
PenrhynTangaroa Tangaroa145
Walter Benedito69
Fred Ford6
PuaikuraJimmy Mareiti541
Raymond Pirangi517
William Heather509
Harry Napa490
Joseph Williams37
Pukapuka–NassauInatio Akaruru313
Mataora Tutai62
RakahangaPupuke Robati70
Turuta Temu47
TakitumuMatapo Matapo603
Apenera Short599
Teariki Matenga565
Iaveta Short564
Taramai Tetonga555
William Cowan530
Tuainekore-o-turepu Keenan31
Te-au-o-TongaAlbert Henry1,420
Lionel George Browne1,363
Teanua Dan Kamana1,353
Rei Jack1,323
Thomas Davis1,248
Vincent Ingram1,201
Fred Goodwin1,173
Teariki Piri1,173
Enua Bishop41
Thomas Tixier40
Michael Tavioni39
Source:

Aftermath

Immediately after the elections, the electoral law was amended to prevent Cook Islanders living overseas from voting, with a requirement to have been resident for three months prior to election day introduced.

The results of the three Rarotonga constituencies were challenged by the Democratic Party. The petitions were heard in an electoral court presided over by Chief Justice Gaven Donne, which sat in Auckland, Rarotonga and Wellington in May and June. It was revealed that Henry had paid $290,000 for the flights for CIP supporters back to the Cook Islands to vote using a specially founded government company.

The votes cast by the CIP voters who flew in were annulled, resulting in eight of the CIP MLAs elected in Rarotonga losing their seats and being replaced by the losing Democratic Party candidates including Tom Davis. The result in Mitiaro, where David Tetava of the CIP was elected, was also overturned due to corrupt practices and a by-election ordered on 5 October 1978. David Tetava died before the election, and the only other candidate, Tiki Tetava, was elected unopposed.

With the Democratic Party now holding a 15–6 majority in the Legislative Assembly, Davis formed a new government. He retained the portfolios of Finance and Economic Development for himself, and appointed Pupuke Robati as Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Vincent Ingram as Minister of Justice and Police, Papamama Pokino as Minister for Supportive Services, Iaveta Short as Minister of Agriculture and Tourism, Tangata Simoiona as Minister of Education and Tangaroa Tangaroa as Minister of Internal Affairs.

References

References

  1. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335678537/view?partId=nla.obj-335731499#page/n5/mode/1up Flying voters: Cooks poll up in air] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', May 1978, p6
  2. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335696937/view?partId=nla.obj-335767600#page/n18/mode/1up A Cooks-NZ showdown?] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', June 1978, p19
  3. (1979-08-20). "Police v Henry - Sentence (1979) CKHC 3".
  4. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335671033/view?partId=nla.obj-335679085#page/n5/mode/1up/search/elect Sir Albert's strategy?] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', February 1978, p6
  5. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335671199/view?partId=nla.obj-335697964#page/n31/mode/1up Cook Islands' election stakes] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1978, p32
  6. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335756159/view?partId=nla.obj-335792717#page/n18/mode/1up Sir Albert in a corner] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', August 1978, pp17–19
  7. (5 April 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 26/78".
  8. (5 April 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 27/78".
  9. (6 April 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 28/78".
  10. (10 April 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 29/78".
  11. [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335766942/view?partId=nla.obj-335805480#page/n10/mode/1up Fall of the House of Henry] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', September 1978, pp11–14
  12. (4 September 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 78/78".
  13. (29 September 1978). "The Cook Islands Gazette No. 83/78".
  14. [[Titi Tetava Ariki]] won the subsequent by-election in Mitiaro.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-342018894/view?partId=nla.obj-342080731#page/n97/mode/1up Papa Raui Pokoati] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', June 1971, p98
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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