2003 Nauruan parliamentary election

Background

Under the constitution of Nauru the 18 members of parliament are elected at least every 3 years from 8 constituencies. Voters rank the candidates with the top 2 candidates being elected from 7 constituencies and 4 being elected from the 8th constituency. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of parliament from among themselves and can be removed by a majority vote in parliament.

Following the last election in 2000 Bernard Dowiyogo was elected president after the then president René Harris resigned. However Dowiyogo was defeated in a motion of non-confidence in April 2001 and Harris became president again. Dowiyogo became president once more and served until his death in the United States in March 2003. Derog Gioura then became acting president until elections could be held in May.

Campaign

Major issues in the election included corruption and the mismanagement of the finances of Nauru, combined with declining incomes from the mining of phosphate. This had led the Asian Development Bank to state that Nauru's economy was in big trouble, with many public sector workers receiving their first pay in months on the day before the election. Another issue in the election was the detention centres set up in Nauru for people seeking asylum in Australia.

During the campaign for the election in which just under 4,500 people were eligible voters, However President Gioura said Audoa had no authority to make that call and said that Nauru did not need any help in running the election. Audoa had had responsibility for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust removed by President Gioura and the two men had fallen out as a result.

Results

The results saw 6 new members of parliament elected, with the remaining 12 retaining their seats. 15 of those elected were not members of any party, while the Nauru First party had the other 3 members. the president Derog Gioura and the former presidents Kinza Clodumar and Rene Harris were re-elected.

By constituency

Presidential election

Following the election Parliament met to elect a new president but was unable to reach agreement. Godfrey Thoma was initially elected speaker but resigned the following day as the speaker initially did not get a vote in the presidential election.

However towards the end of May the impasse was broken when 2 of the 3 factions reached agreement.

References

References

1. (29 May 2003). "Nauru MPs finally decide on a government after a month long impasse". [[Radio New Zealand International]].
2. "Election Profile". ElectionGuide.
3. "Legislative election of 3 May 2003". Adam Carr's Election Archive.
4. (2 April 2001). "Parliament ousts Nauru's President". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
5. "Nauru: parliamentary election Parliament, 2000". [[Inter-Parliamentary Union]].
6. (21 January 2003). "Third time lucky: Nauru swaps leaders again". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
7. (11 March 2003). "Bernard Dowiyogo, 57, President of Pacific Island Nation of Nauru". [[The New York Times]].
8. (1 April 2003). "Nauru's acting president falls ill".
9. "Election Profile". ElectionGuide.
10. "Nauru: parliamentary elections Parliament, 2003". [[Inter-Parliamentary Union]].
11. (17 April 2003). "Nauru goes to the polls in two weeks". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
12. (15 April 2003). "Australia asked to monitor poll amid fear of dirty tricks". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
13. (17 April 2003). "Nauru doesn't need election 'monitors': President". [[ABC News (Australia).
14. (5 May 2003). "Nauru parliament to elect president". [[ABC News (Australia).
15. (9 May 2003). "Deadlock creates havoc in Nauru". [[The Age]].
16. (13 May 2003). "Nauru remains without a speaker and a president". [[Radio New Zealand International]].
17. (29 May 2003). "Votes & Proceedings of the Fifteenth Parliament No. 9". [[Republic of Nauru]].