29 Nov 2010

Final results give Cook Islands Party two-thirds majority

2:31 pm on 29 November 2010

The Cook Islands Party has gained one more seat in the final count in the general election, prompting the outgoing Democratic Party to officially concede defeat.

People in the Cook Islands have also failed to give the required two-thirds majority to a referendum on reducing the number of seats in parliament.

Jo O'Brien reports

"The only change to the preliminary result in the election, is the Cook Islands Party's success in taking a seat which had been tied after the initial count. That gives the Cook Islands Party 16 seats and a two-thirds majority in parliament, and leaves the Democratic Party with just 8 MPs. The Electoral Office has also announced there was a 59.2 percent vote in favour of the referendum on reducing the number of seats in parliament, which was held alongside the election. But that falls short of the two-thirds majority required for the government to take it to parliament. The Cook Islands Party leader Henry Puna is now expected to be sworn in as Prime Minister on Tuesday local time, and will then announce his new cabinet."