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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

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