A Cook Islands MP says the lack of support among MPs for the Prime Minister's new look cabinet is fuelling opposition calls for an early election.
New ministers were handed their portfolios by Jim Marurai last week following several resignations over him sacking his deputy and finance minister, Sir Terepai Maoate, before Christmas.
The MP for Atiu, Norman George, says since the sacking, many MPs have lost confidence in Mr Marurai and his ministers.
He says the Cook Islands Party and the Democratic Party have now agreed to form a caretaker government until the next election.
"There's only five of them, they are all cabinet ministers, they have no support from the rest of the other 19 MPs. They are on their own, they can't legislate and I think they've taken advantage of the Prime Minister's appointment office and it's an abuse of process, it's an abuse of power."
Norman George says pressure is mounting on the Queen's Representative to call parliament under urgency to have a vote of no confidence in the PM .
