WikiLeaks cable: September 28, 2006 Cook Islands: Preliminary election results
September 28, 2006 Cook Islands: Preliminary election results
date:2006-09-28T03:00:00 source:Embassy Wellington origin:06WELLINGTON762 destination:VZCZCXRO2553 RR RUEHPB DE RUEHWL
#0762 2710300 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 280300Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3316 INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY
CANBERRA 4554 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0601 RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0516 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI classification:CONFIDENTIAL reference:06WELLINGTON575 ?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON
000762
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/ANP PACOM FOR JO1E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27... ?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000762
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/ANP PACOM FOR JO1E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, CW, NZ, XV SUBJECT: COOK ISLANDS: PRELIMINARY ELECTION RESULTS
REF: A. WELLINGTON 575
B. WELLINGTON 221
(U) Classified By: Charge D'Affaires David J. Keegan, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: On Tuesday, September 26, the Cooks Islands held general elections. Preliminary results show the
Democratic Party (Demos), led by PM Jim Marurai, ahead of the Cook Islands Party (CIP), 14 seats to 10 in the 24-seat
Parliament. New Zealand's High Commission in Rarotonga believes the most likely outcome will be a Demos victory and a
continuation of government largely similar to its pre-election form. There is no substantive difference between the
policy platforms of the Demos and CIP. Both declare they oppose the practice of encouraging new members of parliament to
"party-hop" as each tries to form the next government, even though they are likely to engage in it. End summary.
2. (C) While final results of the September 24 Cook Islands general election are not due until Monday, October 2, the
Demos lead the CIP 14 seats to 10 in the 24-seat parliament. The elections follow the July 24 dissolution of Parliament
as a result of a pending vote of no confidence motion put forward by the CIP (ref A). Five races remain close, with
separations of 10 votes or less: CIP leads in three races and the Demos in two. Nearly 10,000 persons voted in the
general election, and between 400 and 500 absentee votes remain to be counted. Opposition leader Henry Puna is in one of
the close races, down eight votes with 26 absentee ballots uncounted. (FYI: Almost all absentee ballots are cast by
voters who remain inside the Cooks but temporarily reside outside their electorates. The more than 50,000 Cook Islanders
resident in other countries are, with few exceptions, not allowed to vote. End FYI.)
3. (U) The only candidate confirmed as a victor is Wilkie Rasmussen (CIP), who ran unopposed in his Outer Island
electorate of Penrhyn. Though from the opposition party, Rasmussen has been part of the Demos-dominated coalition
government as Foreign Minister. He also held the marine resources portfolio. Such cross-fertilization has been
commonplace in Cook Islands politics, especially since 1999. Amid increasing public discontent over loose party
loyalties, both parties featured anti-party-hopping legislation in their respective election platforms.
4. (U) CIP Deputy leader Tupou Faireka and Finance spokesperson Vaine Wichman appear likely to lose. Cook Islands
political commentators are reading these preliminary results as a public backlash over CIP attempts to wrest control of
the house in the lead up to the snap election. The media also speculates that former PM Dr. Robert Woonton was sacked as
High Commissioner to New Zealand in March by PM Jim Marurai for plotting to topple the government after he was accused
of funneling significant financial support to the CIP during the election. In March, Wooton was sacked as High
Commissioner to New Zealand by PM Jim Marurai for allegedly plotting to topple the government (ref B).
5. (SBU) Once election results are formally announced, defeated candidates have a week to file petitions to contest the
results, which means that it will be at least mid-October before voters are certain who will be in the new parliament.
It's also possible that both parties will be encouraging newly elected members of parliament to switch parties as the
Government is being formed. Although both parties have pledged to eliminate party-hopping, there is still no law
preventing the practice and many practical incentives for all involved to continue it.
Keegan
ENDS