The names of the candidates for next month's Cook Islands snap election have been given to the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer.
The election was called by the Queens Representative despite the Opposition Cook Islands Party claiming to have a majority after winning the Matavera by-election.
Elma MaUa reports that there are some new faces standing in key seats.
"The loss in the by-election has cost the long serving Vaine Teokotai his place for the Democratic Alliance and he's been replaced by Casey Eggleton. Mark Brown takes over from Sir Geoffrey Henry who retired after 41 years in politics. Many are predicting a close race, but at the moment the CIP hold ten of the 12 seats on the main island Rarotonga, while the Democratic Alliance may have already won the Penhryn Island seat in the Northern Cook Islands where the CIP are not putting up a candidate against Wilkie Rasmussen."
