View source for Politics of the Cook Islands

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{{Politics of the Cook Islands}}
The '''politics of the Cook Islands''' takes place in a framework of a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[representative democracy]] within a [[constitutional monarchy]]. The [[monarchy of New Zealand|monarch of New Zealand]], represented in the [[Cook Islands]] by the [[King's Representative|King or Queen's Representative]], is the [[head of state]]; the [[Prime Minister of the Cook Islands|prime minister]] is the [[head of government]] of a [[multi-party system]]. The nation is self-governing and fully responsible for its internal and foreign affairs; it has run its own foreign and defence policy since 2001.<ref>{{cite news |title=Constitution of the Cook Islands |url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/60530e114.pdf |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref> [[Executive power]] is exercised by [[Government of the Cook Islands|the government]], while [[legislative power]] is vested in both the government and [[Parliament of the Cook Islands|the parliament]]. [[Judiciary of the Cook Islands|The judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislatures.

==Constitution==
The Constitution of the Cook Islands<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Constitution of the Cook Islands|url=http://www.paclii.org/ck/legis/num_act/cotci327/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 February 2021|website=Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute}}</ref> took effect on 4 August 1965, when the Cook Islands became a [[political status of the Cook Islands and Niue|self-governing state]] in [[associated state|free association]] with New Zealand. The anniversary of these events is commemorated annually on [[Constitution Day]], with the week-long activities of Te Maeva Nui Celebrations locally.

== Executive ==
{{see also|Government of the Cook Islands}}
{{office-table}}
| [[King of the Cook Islands]] || [[Charles III]] || || 8 September 2022
|-
| [[King's Representative]] || Sir [[Tom Marsters]] || || 27 July 2013
|-
| [[Prime Minister of the Cook Islands|Prime Minister]] || [[Mark Brown (Cook Islands politician)|Mark Brown]] || [[Cook Islands Party|CIP]] || 1 October 2020
|}

Ten years of rule by the [[Cook Islands Party]] (CIP) came to an end 18 November 1999 with the resignation of Prime Minister [[Joe Williams (Cook Islands politician)|Joe Williams]]. Williams had led a minority government since October 1999 when the [[New Alliance Party (Cook Islands)|New Alliance Party]] (NAP) left the government coalition and joined the main opposition [[Democratic Alliance Party (Cook Islands)|Democratic Party]] (DAP). On 18 November 1999, DAP leader [[Terepai Maoate]] was sworn in as prime minister. He was succeeded by his co-partisan [[Robert Woonton]]. When Woonton lost his seat in the 2004 elections, [[Jim Marurai]] took over.

In the 2010 elections, the CIP regained power and [[Henry Puna]] was sworn in as prime minister on 30 November 2010. His deputy, Mark Brown, succeeded him in 2020, when Puna was elected Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum. Brown was reelected prime minister in 2022 with an increased majority.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.cookislandsnews.com/uncategorised/internal/national/politics/lets-get-to-work/ | title='Let's get to work' |work=Cook Islands News |date=7 September 2022}}</ref>

== Legislature ==
[[Image:Parliament of the Cook Islands - 2006.JPG|right|250px|thumb|The parliament building of the Cook Islands, formerly a hotel.]]
The [[Parliament of the Cook Islands]] has 24 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. There is also a [[House of Ariki]], composed of [[ali'i|chiefs]], which has a purely advisory role. The [[Koutu Nui]] is a similar organization consisting of sub-chiefs. It was established by an amendment in 1972 of the 1966 House of Ariki Act.

On 13 June 2008, a small majority of members of the House of Ariki attempted a coup, claiming to dissolve the elected government and to take control of the country's leadership. "Basically we are dissolving the leadership, the prime minister and the deputy prime minister and the ministers," chief Makea Vakatini Joseph Ariki explained. The ''Cook Islands Herald'' suggested that the ''[[ali'i|ariki]]'' were attempting thereby to regain some of their traditional prestige or ''[[Mana (Oceanian mythology)|mana]]''.<ref name="TVNZ_1845025">{{cite news |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1845025 |title=Cooks heading for internal strife |date=13 June 2008 |work=[[1News|One News]] |access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref><ref name="Stuff.co.nz_487892">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/487892 |title=NZ Maori stirs Cooks sovereignty stoush |date=13 June 2008 |agency=[[NZPA]] |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Jim Marurai]] described the take-over move as "ill-founded and nonsensical".<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_492347">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/492347 |title=NZ Maori behind strange Cook's 'coup' |date=17 June 2008 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref> By 23 June, the situation appeared to have normalised, with members of the House of Ariki accepting to return to their regular duties.<ref name="RNZI_40504">{{cite news |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=40504 |title=Cook Islands chiefs drop take over claim, return to normal duties |date=23 June 2008 |work=[[Radio New Zealand International]] |access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref>

==Judiciary==

{{Main|Judiciary of the Cook Islands}}

The judiciary is established by part IV of the Constitution, and consists of the [[High Court of the Cook Islands]] and the [[Cook Islands Court of Appeal]]. The [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] serves as the final court of appeal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paclii.org/ck/courts.html |title=Pacific Courts - Cook Islands |publisher=PACLII |access-date=14 August 2020}}</ref> Judges are appointed by the [[King's Representative]] on the advice of the [[Cook Islands Executive Council|Executive Council]] as given by the Chief Justice and the Minister of Justice.<ref>''Constitution of the Cook Islands'', s52.</ref> Non-resident Judges are appointed for a three-year term;<ref>''Constitution of the Cook Islands'', s53.</ref> other Judges are appointed for life. Judges may be removed from office by the King's Representative on the recommendation of an investigative tribunal and only for inability to perform their office, or for misbehaviour.<ref>''Constitution of the Cook Islands'', s54.</ref>

With regard to the legal profession, [[Iaveta Short|Iaveta Taunga o Te Tini Short]] was the first Cook Islander to establish a law practice in 1968.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wfAGrkbnZjoC&pg=PA267|title=Cook Islands Politics: The Inside Story|last1=Davis|first1=Thomas R. A. H.|last2=Crocombe|first2=R. G.|date=1979|publisher=editorips@usp.ac.fj|isbn=9780908597000|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.trusteescookislands.com/team/|title=Team|work=Trustee Cook Islands|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-US}}</ref> He would later become a Cabinet Minister (1978) and High Commissioner for the Cook Islands (1985).

==Political parties and elections==
{{elect|List of political parties in the Cook Islands|Elections in the Cook Islands}}

==Recent political history==

The [[1999 Cook Islands general election|1999 election]] produced a [[hung Parliament]].  Cook Islands Party leader [[Geoffrey Henry]] remained prime minister, but was replaced after a month by [[Joe Williams (Cook Islands politician)|Joe Williams]] following a coalition realignment.  A further realignment three months later saw Williams replaced by Democratic Party leader [[Terepai Maoate]].  A third realignment saw Maoate replaced mid-term by his deputy [[Robert Woonton]] in 2002, who ruled with the backing of the CIP.

The Democratic Party won a majority in the [[2004 Cook Islands general election|2004 election]], but Woonton lost his seat, and was replaced by [[Jim Marurai]].  In 2005 Marurai left the Democrats due to an internal disputes, founding his own [[Cook Islands First Party]].  He continued to govern with the support of the CIP, but in 2005 returned to the Democrats.  The loss of several by-elections forced a snap-election in [[2006 Cook Islands general election|2006]], which produced a solid majority for the Democrats and saw Marurai continue as prime minister.

In December 2009, Marurai sacked his Deputy Prime Minister, [[Terepai Maoate]], sparking a mass-resignation of Democratic Party cabinet members<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=51125 |title=Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout |work=[[Radio New Zealand International]] |date=2009-12-24 |access-date=2009-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129:cabinet-ministers-resign-in-support-of-party-leader&catid=1:latest-news |title=Cabinet Ministers Resign in Support of Party Leader |publisher=Democratic Party - Cook Islands |date=2009-12-23 |access-date=2009-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709011911/http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129%3Acabinet-ministers-resign-in-support-of-party-leader&catid=1%3Alatest-news |archive-date=2011-07-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He and new Deputy Prime Minister [[Robert Wigmore]] were subsequently expelled from the Democratic Party.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciherald.co.ck/articles/h491a.htm |title=PM sacked by Demo Party |publisher=Cook Islands Herald |date=2009-12-23 |access-date=2009-12-27}}</ref> Marurai appointed three junior members of the Democratic party to Cabinet,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/December/Wed30/local.htm#0912240106 |title=PM appoints new ministers |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=2009-12-26 |access-date=2010-01-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105035904/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/December/Wed30/local.htm |archive-date=5 January 2010 }}</ref> but on 31 December 2009 the party withdrew its support.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133:marurai-wilkie-coalition-falling-apart&catid=1:latest-news |title=Marurai Wilkie coalition falling apart |publisher=Democratic Party - Cook Islands |date=2009-12-31 |access-date=2010-01-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006221419/http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133:marurai-wilkie-coalition-falling-apart&catid=1:latest-news |archive-date=6 October 2011 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Foreign relations of the Cook Islands]]
* [[Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://parliamentci.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CONSTITUTION-OF-THE-COOK-ISLANDS-JUNE-2022.pdf Constitution of the Cook Islands and amendments]
* [https://cookislandslaws.gov.ck/#/ Cook Islands Legislation]

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