2022 Cook Islands general election

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 1 August 2022.^[1][2] A referendum on legalising medical cannabis was held on the same day.^[3]

2022 Cook Islands general election

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All 24 seats in Parliament 13 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– Cook Islands Mark Brown 44.07 12 +2 Democratic Tina Browne 26.93 5 −6 Cook Islands United Teariki Heather 18.81 3 New One Cook Islands George Turia 2.68 1 0 Independents – 7.31 3 +1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Results of the election by constituency. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after election Mark Brown Cook Islands Mark Brown Cook Islands

Background

In the 2018 general election, the Democratic Party won a plurality with 11 seats but fell short of the 13 required to form a government. The incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP), led by then-prime minister Henry Puna won 10 seats; the One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) secured a single seat, and independents won the remaining two.^[4] The CIP remained in government due to the support of the OCI and independents.^[5]

In October 2020, Puna resigned as prime minister to run for secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. Deputy prime minister Mark Brown succeeded Puna as prime minister and leader of the Cook Islands Party. Brown appointed Robert Tapaitau deputy prime minister.^[6]

Electoral system

The 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands were elected from single-member electorates by first-past-the-post voting.^[7]

Campaign

The Progressive Party of the Cook Islands was launched in October 2019 to contest the election.^[8]

The One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) announced its candidates in November 2021.^[9] However, they caused controversy by claiming Toanui Isamaela and Teina Bishop would stand as joint OCI–Democratic Party candidates; this was denied by the Democratic Party, which stated it would be announcing its own candidates and there was no alliance with the OCI.^[10]

In December 2021 the new Cook Islands United Party, founded by former Deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather in 2018, announced eleven candidates for the elections.^[11]

Opinion polls

Preferred prime minister

Pollster	Date	Sample size	Brown	Browne	Heather	Others	Undecided
Cook Islands News[12]	July 2022	120	44.2%	10.8%	16.7%	14.2%	8.3%

Results

Initial projections showed the Cook Islands Party with 10 seats, the Democrats with 6, the new Cook Islands United Party with 4, and independents with 3. The seat of Ngatangiia was tied, with the CIP and United candidates on 171 votes each.^[13] The final vote count showed the CIP with 12 seats, after it won Ngatangiia and Titikaveka, where the United Party candidate originally had had a six vote lead.^[14] The Democrats won five seats, United three, the One Cook Islands Movement one and independents three.

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Cook Islands Party	3,890	44.07	+1.77	12	+2
	Democratic Party	2,377	26.93	-14.98	5	–6
	Cook Islands United Party	1,660	18.81	New	3	New
	One Cook Islands Movement	237	2.68	-8.13	1	0
	Progressive Party of the Cook Islands	18	0.20	New	0	New
	Independents	645	7.31	+3.54	3	+1
Total		8,827	100.00	–	24	0
Source: Parliament of the Cook Islands[15]

By electorate

Constituency	Candidate	Party		Votes	%
Akaoa	Robert Stanley Heather		Cook Islands United	195	49.24
	Nooroa Baker		Democratic	144	36.36
	Doreen Tuainekore Boggs		Cook Islands	57	14.39
Amuri–Ureia	Toanui Isamaela		One Cook Islands	126	35.90
	Terepai Maoate		Democratic	123	35.04
	Nicholas Royle Henry		Cook Islands	102	29.06
Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara	Tereapii Maki-Kavana		Cook Islands	206	57.38
	Teinakore Bishop		One Cook Islands	111	30.92
	Atina Currie		Democratic	42	11.70
Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston	Albert Nicholas		Cook Islands	358	60.68
	Teina Rongo		Democratic	195	33.05
	Makiroa Tutai-Louis Mitchell		Cook Islands United	37	6.27
Ivirua	Agnes Armstrong		Democratic	57	72.15
	Marouna Pakuru		Cook Islands	12	15.19
	Ngametua Angai Peraua		Cook Islands United	10	12.66
Manihiki	Akaiti Puna		Cook Islands	89	72.95
	Mokoha Johnson		Democratic	24	19.67
	Apolo Miria		Cook Islands United	9	7.38
Matavera	Vaitoti Tupa		Democratic	261	43.57
	Taneao Ngamata		Independent	183	30.55
	Harriet Tangi Williams		Cook Islands	93	15.53
	Saula Atera		Cook Islands United	62	10.35
Mauke	Stephen Matapo		Independent	92	50.83
	Eileen Story		Cook Islands	62	34.25
	Tungane Williams		Independent	16	8.84
	Lotiola Mateariki		Cook Islands United	11	6.08
Mitiaro	Tuakeu Tangatapoto		Cook Islands	62	69.66
	Paul Raui Pokoati Allsworth		Cook Islands United	26	29.21
	Louise Akerongo Utanga		Democratic	1	1.12
Murienua	Teariki Heather		Cook Islands United	265	55.09
	Patrick Akaiti Arioka		Cook Islands	169	35.14
	Piltz Tetevano Napa		Democratic	47	9.77
Ngatangiia	Tukaka Ama		Cook Islands	202	36.86
	Mapi Ioteva		Cook Islands United	191	34.85
	Tamaiva Tuavera		Democratic	155	28.28
Nikao–Panama	Vaine Mokoroa		Cook Islands	543	70.43
	Ngamau Mere Munokoa		Democratic	210	27.24
	Te Tuhi Tauratumaru Kelly		Progressive	18	2.33
Oneroa	Wesley Kareroa		Democratic	84	42.21
	Poroaiti Arokapiti		Cook Islands	69	34.67
	Travel Tangimokopuna Moeara		Cook Islands United	46	23.12
Penrhyn	Robert Tapaitau		Cook Islands	91	75.21
	Tex Teakaau Tangimetua		Independent	23	19.01
	Jimmy Temu Marsters		Cook Islands United	7	5.79
Pukapuka–Nassau	Tingika Elikana		Cook Islands	199	69.58
	Willie Pareura Katoa		Democratic	87	30.42
Rakahanga	Tina Browne		Democratic	44	58.67
	Toka Hagai		Cook Islands	31	41.33
Ruaau	Tim Tunui Varu		Cook Islands United	291	41.04
	Arama Wichman		Cook Islands	267	37.66
	William Heather		Democratic	151	21.30
Takuvaine–Tutakimoa	Mark Brown		Cook Islands	277	61.01
	Da\/Ina Hosking-Ashford		Democratic	124	27.31
	Teokotai-O-George George		Cook Islands United	53	11.67
Tamarua	Tetangi Matapo		Democratic	30	57.69
	Lana Aitau		Cook Islands	22	42.31
Teenui–Mapumai	Rose Toki-Brown		Independent	87	73.73
	Nooroa Paratainga		Cook Islands United	31	26.27
Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua	Te-Hani Brown		Independent	104	82.54
	Vainetutai Boaza		Cook Islands United	22	17.46
Titikaveka	Sonny Williams		Cook Islands	231	31.22
	Margharet Matenga		Cook Islands United	228	30.81
	Selina Napa		Democratic	212	28.65
	Teava Iro		Independent	69	9.32
Tupapa–Maraerenga	George Angene		Cook Islands	570	56.60
	Lee Harmon		Democratic	261	25.92
	Kervin Tetutamaiti Aroita		Cook Islands United	176	17.48
Vaipae–Tautu	Teokotai Herman		Cook Islands	178	47.59
	Teinakore Manuela		Democratic	125	33.42
	Teariki George		Independent	71	18.98

Aftermath

The CIP began coalition talks on 4 August, and announced that it planned to continue its arrangements with two independents.^[16] The United Party ruled out working with the CIP.^[16] On 5 August the CIP announced they had secured the support of independents Te-Hani Brown and Rose Toki-Brown for a governing coalition.^[17] On 12 August Mark Brown was reappointed Prime Minister.^[18][19] On 25 August 2022 independent MP Stephen Matapo joined the Cook Islands Party, giving the government a total of 15 seats.^[20][21]

Following the election, electoral petitions were filed challenging the results in Mitiaro, Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua, Teenui–Mapumai, Titikaveka and Amuri–Ureia, as well as an application for a recount in Tupapa–Maraerenga.^[22][23] Due to the time taken to resolve the petitions, the Cook Islands Parliament did not sit for the rest of the year, and will not sit until at least March 2023.^[24]

The final electoral petition was not resolved until 11 March 2023, when the High Court confirmed that Sonny Williams had won the seat of Titikaveka.^[25] Parliament sat for the first time and new MPs were sworn in on 21 March 2023.^[26]