Dancers at the 51st anniversary of self-governance with the annual Constitution Day ceremony at the National Auditorium on main island Rarotonga. Photo: RNZI/Eipuatiare Arthur
The Cook Islands deputy prime minister says the country's civil servants will need to attend future Constitution Day celebrations, after a disappointing turnout yesterday.
Teariki Heather says he will take the issue to cabinet, telling a crowd at celebrations in Rarotonga that the poor attendance of civil servants cannot be excused.
In a speech that borrowed a famous line from former United States president John F Kennedy, Mr Heather also spoke of the pride and joy at the celebrations, and urged people to ask what they could do for their country.
The Cook Islands News reports him saying that since the country gained self-governance 51 years ago, it has grown and prospered, and it would continue to do so.
