The Cook Islands Prime Minister Jim Marurai has announced that the general elections will be held on November the 17th this year.
This comes after a fractious political year in which the ruling Democratic Party split and a vote of no confidence in Mr Marurai was expected.
But the Prime Minister avoided this by delaying the recall of Parliament until the last moment two weeks ago.
Calls for political reforms in the Cooks have increased this year with suggestions that the number of MPs should be trimmed from the current 24.
