Cook Islands election gives Brown powerful majority as Mangaia MPs join government

The Cook Islands Party (CIP) is heading for a powerful fifth consecutive term in government after three newly elected independent women MPs from Mangaia agreed to join the governing party.

The move follows last week's general election and takes the CIP from 12 seats in preliminary results to 18 in the 24-seat Parliament, giving it three-quarters of the seats.

Rashneel Kumar, the Editor of Cook Islands News, says the scale of the result has surprised many, particularly those expecting the opposition to win more seats.

“I don't think that people expected such, I would say, a dismal performance from the opposition parties," he told William Terite on Pacific Mornings.

The three Mangaia MPs - Agnes Armstrong, Rimmel Poila-Mokoroa and Tetangi Matapo - have agreed to join the government, in a move being framed as a way of putting Mangaia closer to where major decisions are made.

Mangaia paramount chief Numangatini Tangitamaiti Tereapii Ariki says the three MPs agreed to work together to make sure the island has a seat at the decision-making table.

Mangaia paramount chief Numangatini Tangitamaiti Tereapii Ariki says the island needs to be at the table where key government decisions are made. Photo/RNZ Pacific/Tuaine Papatua

“They've agreed to work together," Ariki told the Cook Islands News. "The three of them. Because Mangaia has been out of government for some time … I asked them to make up their mind.

"The main reason is to have Mangaia sitting at that table where the decisions are made. We can't sit outside. It's been too long that we've been sitting outside.”

Armstrong, the new independent MP for Ivirua, says the decision was made collectively with their supporters and communities.

Newly elected Ivirua MP Agnes Armstrong says the three Mangaia MPs agreed to work together for the benefit of their island and individual constituencies. Photo/Cook Islands News

“That's our consensus with our committees and the people behind us that we all work together as one for the betterment of the island and our individual constituencies," she told the newspaper.

Senior CIP member and caretaker Nikao-Panama minister, Vaine “Mac” Mokoroa, says the three MPs have agreed to join the government, with the move facilitated through the endorsement of Mangaia's paramount chief.

“They have all agreed to join the government of the day... This process and negotiation was facilitated through the endorsement and grace of Numangatini Ariki.

"All independents are in need of change and progress on their island hence the reason they decided to stand as independent and move into government.”

Kumar says the Cook Islands Party defied expectations on election day.

“There were probably a couple more seats that people were thinking that United would grab, especially in Ratatonga.

Watch Rashneel Kumar's full interview below.

"I mean the Cook Islands party on the election day they proved everybody wrong, I guess, they command the majority with the support from the independents.”

The election has also produced an upset in Pukapuka-Nassau, where first-time independent candidate Dr Kirianu “Dash” Nio defeated caretaker foreign affairs minister and CIP candidate Tingika Elikana by three votes, 134 to 131.

The Democratic Party is also waiting on special votes that could affect its final numbers.

Party leader Tina Browne's seat is separated by three votes with 14 special votes still to be counted while the party's deputy leader is also in a close race.

But even if those results go their way, the Democratic Party has suffered a major setback, falling from five seats at the last election.

Kumar says Browne is committing to an honest review of the campaign before deciding what comes next.

Cook Islands Democratic Party leader Tina Browne faces a close race as the party begins considering its next steps following a disappointing election result. Photo/Radio Cook Islands

“What she is saying is that she is committing to an honest review of the campaign and, I mean, based on that, they will decide where to go from there.”

For Brown, the result puts his Cook Islands Party in a strong position to begin another term in government.

Kumar says Brown was confident on election night that voters had given his party another mandate. But the Prime Minister is waiting for the final results before outlining his next steps.

The bigger question now is how the Cook Islands' political system will work with such a weak opposition.

Kumar says a strong opposition is important for holding any government to account and that could put even greater pressure on the media.

“Based on the first count, you definitely need a very strong opposition to have a good government. And at the moment, it doesn't seem that way. That makes it quite an extraordinary situation.”

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is set to lead the Cook Islands Party into a fifth consecutive term after the party secured a commanding position in Parliament. Photo/PMN News

Kumar says Cook Islands News will continue scrutinising government policies and decisions.

“And that we have been playing for, I think, the last four years and beyond. So we'll just keep doing our job and making sure the policies that the government is promoting or trying to implement is in the best interest of the people.”

With the final count due this week, the election story in the Cook Islands is now moving beyond who won.

The focus is turning to how a government with such a strong grip on Parliament will be held to account and whether the opposition can rebuild from one of its biggest election setbacks.