2 Mar 2015

One Cook Islands to stand candidate

2:10 pm on 2 March 2015

The One Cook Islands party in the Cook Islands has announced it will put forward its own candidate in this month's re-scheduled Vaipae-Tautu by-election.

Cook Islands Parliament

Cook Islands Parliament Photo: Supplied

The move raises questions about the strength of a planned coalition with the Democratic Party.

The by-election was to have gone ahead last month but the Democratic Party candidate, Kete Ioane, died suddenly while receiving medical treatment in Auckland.

The One Cook Islands leader, Teina Bishop, was serving as the campaign manager for Mr Ioane and a victory was expected to lead to a coalition government.

But the Cook Island News reports Mr Bishop announced at the weekend that his party was going to put forward Amiria Davey as the party's candidate to stand in the by-election on March 31st.

He says a coalition remains a possibility.