Cook Island by-election awaits court's decision

Transcript

The outcome of the Cook Islands general election held in July continues to be played out in the courts with a decision still pending as to whether the Mitiaro by-election will be counted.

The Democratic Party candidate for Mitiaro says the outcome of several electoral appeals are expected from the courts on Friday Cook Islands time.

Tangata Vavia told Jenny Meyer the process has been drawn out and hard on the people and he is hoping the votes for Mitiaro will be counted.

TANGATA VAVIA: I don't know how that decision is going to come out but it's been reserved until Friday when the court decided then that they'll wait until they've heard all the appeals and deliver their judgement on Friday. And if it's the by-election goes ahead as far as their decision's concerned then the vote will be counted after that.

JENNY MEYER:  So who's making this appeal to the court?

TV: The Mitiaro appeal made by the candidate for the Cook Island's Party and that appeal is against the judge's decision on the petitions in July. So they're appealing the court's decision in calling a by-election.

JM: Can you explain what the original concern was?

TV: Their concern was that the judge should have heard their counter petition and should not have called for a by election when we withdrew our petition, the original petitions. Because they had a counter recall as a counter petition. But the judge decided no, he's going to send the Mitiaro constituency back to have a by-election. And that's what they're appealing the law whether the judge was right in ordering a by-election instead of continuing to hear their counter petition.

JM: It's been a very drawn out, long process hasn't it, with the original general election in July, we're now heading towards the end of November, when do you think that it will become clear in fact who is the ruling party in government in the Cook Islands?

TV: Yes, like you said I agree it's been a long drawn out election and quite hard on the people. And I'm hoping that the outcome will be that we count the votes from Mitiaro and see who will take the seat.

JM: How confident are you that you will regain your seat?

TV: Well it's a very tight race, and I'm hopeful that the Democrat Party will win the seat in Mitiaro. And also which ever way the other appeals are going to go, that will decide the final outcome of the whole thing.

JM: So how are people feeling when there's this tenterhooks situation of not knowing who's in power in the Cook Islands?

TV: I think for the Mitiaro people, I think the feeling is that they just want to get these things over and done with, they want to move on.