Kiribati Politics
In the 2002 parliamentary elections, held on 29 November and 6 December, 17 Boutokaan Te Koaua (BTK) candidates were successful while President Teburoro Tito’s Maneaban Te Mauri (MTM) won only 16 seats, and seven seats were taken by independents. Teburoro Tito then narrowly won the presidential poll in February 2003, defeating his principal rival, Taberannang Timeon, by some 550 votes.
Less than a month into his third (and necessarily final) term, President Tito lost a no-confidence vote and fresh elections were called. In the parliamentary elections in May 2003, MTM took 24 of the 40 elected seats and the BTK 16, the independents having joined parties. However, in the close presidential poll, in July 2003, Anote Tong of the BTK defeated the MTM’s candidate, his younger brother Harry Tong, and formed a new government.
In Kiribati, elections saw switches of allegiance between Taiwan and the PRC, most recently in 2004 when President Tong came in and immediately recognized Taiwan. That caused the PRC to evacuate its presence, including a satellite-tracking station on South Tarawa. The PRC left behind a "caretaker" for its diplomatic properties, a person widely believed to be an intelligence agent. Having perceived signs of meddling in politics, Kiribati Immigration refused to extend the caretaker's visa.
Kiribati is the scene of a strange power struggle between China and Taiwan. Brothers Anote and Harry Tong were respectively the pro-Taiwan president and pro-China leader of the opposition. President Anote Tong's brother Harry, whom he defeated in 2003, has strong ties to the PRC and would likely switch back to the PRC if he came back into power.
Parliamentary elections were held on 22 and 30 August 2007. Independent candidates won in 19 of the 44 seats available in the two-round contest. BTK was the leading political party taking 18 seats, and MTM seven. The Kiribati general election's first phase took place on Aug. 22, with President Tong, Vice President Onorio, and five Ministers winning their parliamentary seats. The Tong coalition took 15 of the 18 seats decided.
In the October 2007 presidential elections, Anote Tong – with 15,500 votes and 65% of votes – was well ahead of his principal opponent, Nabuti Mwemwenikarawa (33%).
Following the election of a new parliament in October/November 2011 – when President Tong’s BTK won 15 seats, the Karikirakean Tei-Kiribati (KTK) ten, and the Maurin Kiribati Party (MKP) three; and 30 of the 44 members were re-elected – the new legislature nominated three candidates to contest the presidential elections.
President Anote Tong won re-election by a comfortable margin in January 2012 and has enjoyed a comfortable majority in Parliament. The biggest political issues of the day are climate change and employment opportunities for a crowded and growing population.
In the 2015 parliamentary election held from 30 December 2015 to 07 January 2016, , the Pillars of Truth party won 26 of the 46 seats while the United Coalition Party and MKP together secured 19. The elections saw 22 new parliamentarians elected to the 46-member parliament. Several ministers and veteran parliamentarians, including former President Teatao Teannaki, lost their seats. A record 18 women ? up from 12 in 2011 ? were candidates, however, only three were elected, compared to four in the previous parliament. Parties are loose groupings in Kiribati and there were no official manifestos. During the election campaign, many candidates focused on climate change, and promised to work for more economic development and better employment. The Speaker is elected among persons who are not members of Parliament. On 5 February 2016, the new House of Assembly held its first session and elected Mr. Teatao Teannaki as its Speaker. He is from the Tobwaan Kiribati Party (TKP), which was formed after a merger between the Karikirakean Te I-Kiribati Party and the Maurin Kiribati Party.
The House of Assembly also selected three presidential candidates from among its members: Mr. Taaneti Mamau (TKP), Mr. Rimeta Beniamina (Boutokan teKoaua Party, BTK) and Mr. Tianeti Ioane (BTK). Outgoing President Anote Tong of (BTK) was constitutionally barred from running for the presidency after serving the maximum three terms as President. Three Kiribati parliamentarians faced off in the presidential election following the election of a new parliament in January 2016. The new president replaced Anote Tong who stepped down after filling the role for the maximum allowed period of 12 years. Two of the candidates belonged to the long dominant Boutokaan Te Koaua, or BTK party, Rimeta Beniamina and Tianeti Ioane. Taaneti Mamau, the nominee of a coalition that formed in the new parliament, was elected President on 09 March 2016.
The next election was scheduled to be held in late 2019 or early 2020. With the exception of persons certified insane or under a prison sentence of 12 months or more, all citizens of Kiribati who have attained the age of 18 years and have resided within an electoral district for a continuous period of 12 months are entitled to be registered as ‘electors’ or voters for elections.
Under Section 62 of the Constitution overall responsibility for supervising elections in Kiribati is vested in an Electoral Commission consisting of a Chief Electoral Commissioner and not less than two or more than four commissioners, appointed by the Beretitenti on the advice of the Cabinet. The Chief Justice is involved in the supervision of the election of the Beretitenti. Under section 63 of the Constitution, the Electoral Commission is also responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Maneaba ni Maungatabu for approval on the number and boundaries of electoral districts and the number of elected members in the Maneaba ni Maungatabu. Under Sections 4 of the Elections Ordinance, the carrying out of administrative arrangements and the conduct of elections is vested in the Chief Electoral Office, who is at present appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs. The Chief Electoral Officer in turn appoints electoral officers and assistant electoral officers for each electoral district. These officers assist in the registration of voters and the actual conduct of the elections. The main reason why the Ministry of Home Affairs deals with elections is administrative convenience.
The unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu consists of 46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds if needed. And 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general. Members serve 4-year terms. Legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first on 30 December 2015 and the second on 7 January 2016.
The president of Kiribati described members of the new political party, Kiribati First, as traitors. Taneti Maamau told Parliament on 5 November 2019 that the MPs left the government without discussing their grievances with caucus. Thirteen MPs have joined Kiribati First, creating a minority government that holds just 20 of the 46 seats in Parliament. The new party was set up by the ruling party's former chair, Banuera Berina, after the government switched allegiance from Taiwan to China in September 2019.
Two opposition parties mustered 26 seats in Parliament, with the government holding just 20. An opposition MP with the Boutokaan te Koaua, or BTK Party, Sir Ieremia Tabai, said the president could not run a government with a minority. The opposition, including a string of government defectors to the newly-founded Kiribati Moa, or Kiribati First Party, have been strengthened by growing discontent over the opening of diplomatic ties with China in favor of Taiwan.
The 46-member Parliament was elected in a two-round system of polling. Elections in Kiribati were delayed by a week. This comes as emergency measures in response to the covid-19 pandemic have disrupted public services, despite no confirmed cases of the virus in the country. The first round on 14 April for the 45-seat legislature saw a high turnout of about 34,000 votes cast. The results of this preliminary round of voting were disappointing for the governing Tobwaan Kiribati Party; four ministers from previous government lost their seats, including the country’s Fisheries, Justice and Internal Affairs ministers. The second round was held on 20 April. Incumbent president Taneti Maamau said he wanted to pursue a second term. While the Tobwaan Kiribati Party was expected to remain in power, a loss of seats could be a signal that voters want the government to more aggressively tackle climate change by shifting further from a disinterested Washington.
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