The Democratic Party in the Cook Islands appears to have resolved a serious split within its ranks, by readmitting the Prime Minister and other ministers at its party conference today.
The party has also elected new leaders to take it into the general election later this year.
Our correspondent Flo Syme Buchanan has more
"The new party leader is Deputy Prime Minister, Robert Wigmore, who takes over the helm from Sir Terepai Maoate. The deputy leader is the Minister of Finance, Wilkie Rasmussen. The Democratic Party also has a new president. He is Sean Willis, a relative newcomer to national politics. The party resolved to admit all members of cabinet including Prime Minister Jim Marurai, who had been sacked by the previous executive. Had the party not resolved its differences today, the split would have seen one of the major parties in the Cook Islands disintegrate."
