1978 Cook Islands general election

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

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.

{{Election results

|image=File:Cook Islands Parliament 1972.svg

|party1=Cook Islands Party|seats1=15|sc1=+1

|party2=Democratic Party|seats2=7|sc2=–1

|party3=Unity Party|seats3=0|sc3=New

|total_sc=0

|source=[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335766942/view?partId=nla.obj-335805480#page/n10/mode/1up Pacific Islands Monthly]

}}

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.[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 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.{{Cite web |date=4 September 1978 |title=The Cook Islands Gazette No. 78/78 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/llflg.2004217240_19780904_02/ |website=Library of Congress}} David Tetava died before the election, and the only other candidate, Tiki Tetava, was elected unopposed.{{Cite web |date=29 September 1978 |title=The Cook Islands Gazette No. 83/78 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/llflg.2004217240_19780929_01// |website=Library of Congress}}

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. 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

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{{Cook Islands elections}}

Category:Elections in the Cook Islands

General election

Cook Islands

Cook Islands

Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results