The Ministry of Justice in the Cook Islands says transportation problems that posed a threat to next week's general elections have been resolved.
The shipping service's main outer island vessel ran aground on a reef about a month ago, disrupting fuel delivery in the northern group of islands and thereby threatening the operations of the domestic airline, Air Rarotonga.
The Ministry needs to transport ballot forms and boxes to the outer islands in time for the polls.
The Secretary of the Ministry, Mark Short, says he is confident the issue has been resolved.
"What we've been able to do now is engage and contract out one of the fishing boats. And they're going to be taking the ballot boxes up to the northern group. And it looks like we are going to be able to also fly up to the north because we have a small little boat that is now trying to fulfill the orders that the big vessel that ran aground in. That boat is now going to be taking fuel up north."
Mark Short says all shipping and flight services are running according to schedule.
