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Islands vote for their leaders
Robert Matau
Five Pacific islands nations will be deciding who will be leading them, beginning with the Solomons this month.
Solomons will hold its election on August 4 with a record number of candidates (508) tussling for the 50 seats in the Solomon Islands parliament.
For the first time, there will be 25 females contesting the election.
Coalitions are expected to be formed in a number of nations after the results are announced, making the race for the top political job hard to predict.
Issues will vary from one country to the other, but a lot of focus will be focused on how the current leadership has brought tangible developments and results to their constituencies and nation and how the new ones plan to do so.
We preview the election for each nation.
Tuvalu
Expect intense family rivalry in the Tuvalu election between a cabinet minister and his Prime Minister on the road to the September 16 elections.
Both Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia and Communications Minister Taukelina Finikaso are standing in the Vaitupu constituency.
Minister Finikaso, ISLANDS BUSINESS was told, had lodged a complaint against Ielemia with the Tuvalu Police.
It is alleged that Ielemia had distributed registration forms in their constituency before the registration date. The Tuvalu police are investigating the case.
Finikaso is also a close relative of Ielemia.
The nature of Tuvalu’s politics also tends to be fought on a more personal basis involving family ties and clans.
Vaitupu constituency, is the largest in Tuvalu, which has 1200 voters, making the level of indoor lobbying quite intense.
Without party politics, Tuvalu’s campaign trail takes potential candidates straight into the homes of their small constituencies to seek votes. It’s every man for himself during elections and Government is formed by those who actually make it into parliament.
Expect some close-kept secrets to come out in the open as the battle lines have been drawn quite thinly in this contest. Already some of these secrets are making their way into the public domain.
Ielemia declined an interview when he arrived in Suva for the Engaging Pacific Communities talks last month.
Finikaso also declined to speak about the issue with the Prime Minister, but said he would tell his constituents about the government’s struggle to keep its economy afloat during the global economic cash crisis.
While it may not be obvious that tensions are running high between the families, sources on the island say Finikaso stands a good chance of winning his seat.
Tonga
After Tonga’s elections on November 25, the Kingdom will have a new Prime Minister.
Their first commoner Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele will not be part of the race.
Lopeti Senituli, his press secretary and political adviser, confirmed that Dr Sevele is calling it a day.
“He said he has done enough and has paid his dues, and wants to spend more time with his grandchildren and family,” Senituli said.
The hopefuls will be vying for a seat in an extended Tongan parliament that gives more power to the commoners.
In April 2010, the Legislative Assembly enacted a package of political reforms, increasing the number of people’s representatives from nine to 17, with 10 seats for Tongatapu, three for Vava’u, two for Ha’apai and one each for Niuas and ’Eua.
All of the .0seats are single-seat constituencies, as opposed to the multi-member constituencies used before. These changes mean that now 17 of 26 representatives (65.4%) will be directly elected, up from 9 of 30 (30%).
Sevele was one of the three candidates from Tongatapu constituency under the last election and became Prime Minister on March 30, 2006.
Today, the same Tongatapu constituency has 10 candidates and one of the more familiar faces that Tongans will get to vote for is democracy fighter ‘Akilisi Pohiva.
While it is rumoured that Senituli may contest the election, he is still a civil servant and will probably make an announcement closer to the election date. But he declined to confirm this when asked by ISLANDS BUSINESS.
Whoever takes over the leadership role after the election, he will be in for a challenging time, ensuring that Tonga is financially sound because word from those who know in Nuku’alofa say the country is in a bad shape.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua is contesting the August 4 election.
But he faces a more interesting election with more candidates and more political parties this time around contesting the election.
Unlike past elections, there’s even a Women’s Party that will be chasing voters to vote for them. A record number of candidates are also expected to contest the election. Figures provided showed that 508 candidates will tussle for the 50 seats in the Solomon Islands parliament, 25 of them are understood to be females.
Dr Sikua, battling against five other candidates in his North East Guadalcanal constituency, seemed confident about his chances of winning his seat back.
When approached for a comment, he said, “its all good”. But question is whether he can muster enough support to become the prime minister again.
Also contesting the election is former prime minister Mannaseh Sogavare (Our Party—East Choiseul) and Sikua’s former cabinet minister Gordon Darcy Lilo on the Solomon Islands’ Party for Rural Advancement ticket (Gizo-Kolombangara constituency).
The influx of political parties seems to support the view that this election will again produce yet another coalition government.
Just who will be in the political marriage remains a puzzle, although policy intentions have provided sufficient indications as to which parties might be in a coalition after the August election.
Cook Islands
Pencil in a September date for the Cook Islands elections, though nothing has been confirmed yet. Under its constitution, the Prime Minister and cabinet can keep the country waiting until September 26 to request Parliament to convene.
Cook Islands Prime Mnister Jim Marurai told www.islandsbusiness.com that he has had enough of leading the country.
Come the next elections, he will stand for his Ivirua seat on the island of Mangaia and reconnect with his constituents if he wins.
“I can’t even trust my own team. There are too many personal interests at play, too much greed for power,” he said.
Northern Marianas
After ISLANDS BUSINESS reported last month that government officials in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana islands did not receive their wages on time, their electoral commission also said the election in November was in doubt. The Commonwealth has had severe financial problems in recent months, but it said it will find ways to fund the election, estimated to cost US$128,000.
Nauru in a state of limbo
The once phosphate rich island of Nauru is in a state of limbo—or shall we say state of emergency with President Marcus Stephen exercising wide powers under the law to rule the nation.
After two elections in April and three speakers, Nauru still has not found an answer to its numbers dilemma.
There are nine members on the government side and two factions within the Opposition. But each refuses to side with the government to get a clear mandate.
Two speakers Godfrey Thoma and Dominic Tabuna were also appointed after the elections in April to try to seek a way forward but both stood down when no clear solution was reached.
Another speaker Aloysius Amwano offered a way out for President Stephen to step down and let a new coalition rule, but this was refused by Stephen’s colleagues.
Stephen nominated Amwano for the position. However he used a Presidential Order to remove Amwano on the grounds he “deliberately and needlessly prolonged the stalemate” from the time he assumed the Chair on June 30 until his subsequent removal. Amwano is married to Marcus sister.
While the nation is are seeking legal opinions but secretary for justice says he has wide powers. Parliament does not sit until he says so.
Under Article 16(4) of Nauru’s Constitution the president holds office until the election of another person as president. Under Article 20, all of his Cabinet members also remain Ministers until a new president is elected.
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