2023 Niuean general election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
General elections were held in Niue on 29 April 2023.[1] The elections were originally planned to be held early, in late February or early March.[2] Eight new MPs and six women were elected.
29 April 2023
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All 20 members of the Niue Assembly 11 seats needed for a majority | |||
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Following the elections the Assembly elected Dalton Tagelagi as Premier.
Electoral system
The 20 members of the Assembly are elected by two methods; 14 are elected from single-member consistencies using first-past-the-post voting and six are elected from a single nationwide constituency by multiple non-transferable vote.[3] There are currently no political parties. After the election, the Members of the Assembly elect a Speaker of the Assembly from outside parliament, and a Premier, who must be an MP. The Premier then chooses a Cabinet.
In 2023, the candidate nomination fee was increased from NZ$11 to NZ$200.[4]
Campaign
A total of 42 candidates contested the election, of which 17 contested the six common roll seats.[1]
Results
Three of the common-roll seats went to newcomers, with the initial results indicating that the final seat would be decided by a coin-toss.[5][6] The final results on 3 May did not show a tie, with Sonya Talagi winning the last seat on the common roll by two votes.[7]
Six candidates, including Premier Dalton Tagelagi, were elected unopposed.[8] Six women were elected.[9] Three sitting MPs were unseated.[10]
In a secret ballot, the Assembly re-elected Dalton Tagelagi as Premier in a 16-4 vote against O'Love Jacobsen.[11] Tagelagi appointed his Cabinet on 12 May, the first gender-balanced Cabinet in Niuean history.[12][13]
Common roll
| Candidate | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossley Tatui | 409 | 48.81 | Re-elected |
| Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui | 394 | 47.02 | Elected |
| Sinahemana Hekau | 387 | 46.18 | Elected |
| Billy Talagi | 366 | 43.68 | Re-elected |
| O'Love Jacobsen | 364 | 43.44 | Re-elected |
| Sonya Talagi | 362 | 43.20 | Elected |
| Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai | 360 | 42.96 | |
| Terry Coe | 333 | 39.74 | Unseated |
| Fapoi Akesi | 313 | 37.35 | |
| Tamuta Utalo | 233 | 27.80 | |
| Togia Sioneholo | 207 | 24.70 | |
| Victoria Posimani-Kalauni | 191 | 22.79 | |
| Ettie Lotomaanu P Pasene-Mizziebo | 188 | 22.43 | |
| Julie Sophai S M T Talagi-Funaki | 183 | 21.84 | |
| Charlie J K Tohovaka | 165 | 19.69 | |
| Mark Blumsky | 158 | 18.85 | |
| Fisa Igilisi Pihigia | 108 | 12.89 | |
| Total | 4,721 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 838 | 95.34 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 41 | 4.66 | |
| Total votes | 879 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,170 | 75.13 | |
| Source: Chief Electoral Officer | |||
By constituency
| Candidate | AS | TAMA | AVTL | Vaiea | HKP | Liku | LKP | MTL | Toi | HIKU | NAMU | Tuapa | MKF | AN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossley Tatui | 90 | 40 | 30 | 9 | 84 | 26 | 16 | 31 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 25 |
| Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui | 125 | 21 | 26 | 16 | 29 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 16 | 57 |
| Sinahemana Hekau | 108 | 30 | 21 | 7 | 34 | 43 | 22 | 24 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 41 |
| Billy Talagi | 77 | 45 | 55 | 10 | 28 | 28 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 44 | 8 | 29 |
| O'Love Jacobsen | 98 | 44 | 25 | 20 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 14 | 34 |
| Sonya Talagi | 70 | 30 | 25 | 11 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 42 | 13 | 30 |
| Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai | 83 | 31 | 42 | 1 | 47 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 11 | 34 |
| Terry Coe | 86 | 27 | 30 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 4 | 21 | 14 | 32 |
| Fapoi Akesi | 40 | 24 | 23 | 12 | 85 | 22 | 32 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 22 |
| Tamuta Utalo | 54 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 12 |
| Togia Sioneholo | 47 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 12 | 22 |
| Victoria Posimani-Kalauni | 31 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 44 | 9 | 8 |
| Julie Sophai S M T Talagi-Funaki | 63 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 20 |
| Ettie Lotomaanu P Pasene-Mizziebo | 71 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
| Charlie J K Tohovaka | 29 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
| Mark Blumsky | 33 | 15 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 21 |
| Fisa Igilisi Pihigia | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 2 | 3 |
| Invalid | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Spoilt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total votes | 209 | 79 | 69 | 26 | 93 | 59 | 52 | 49 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 68 | 38 | 82 |
| Registered | 276 | 93 | 88 | 40 | 128 | 78 | 76 | 81 | 31 | 35 | 6 | 88 | 50 | 100 |
| Source: Chief Electoral Officer | ||||||||||||||
Constituencies
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alofi North | Tutuli Heka | 35 | 44.87 | Elected |
| Alan Puleoti | 26 | 33.33 | ||
| Stanley Frederick Tafatu | 17 | 21.79 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 2 | 2.56 | ||
| Total | 78 | |||
| Alofi South | Dalton Tagelagi | Re-elected unopposed | ||
| Avatele | Pita Vakanofiti | 28 | 40.58 | Re-elected |
| Hetututama Hetutu | 26 | 37.68 | ||
| Ketiligi Saniteli Fereti | 13 | 18.84 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 2 | 2.90 | ||
| Total | 69 | |||
| Hakupu | Richie Mautama | Re-elected unopposed | ||
| Hikutavake | Ian Hipa | 9 | 37.50 | Elected |
| Masiniholo Lagaloga | 5 | 20.83 | ||
| Opili Talafasi | 8 | 33.33 | Unseated | |
| Blank or invalid votes | 2 | 8.33 | ||
| Total | 24 | |||
| Lakepa | Rhonda Tiakia Tomailuga | 35 | 67.31 | Elected |
| Shield Palahetogia | 16 | 30.77 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 1 | 1.92 | ||
| Total | 52 | |||
| Liku | Logopati Seumanu | 31 | 54.39 | Elected |
| Sionetasi Pulehetoa | 26 | 45.61 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Total | 57 | |||
| Makefu | Tofua Puletama | 22 | 61.11 | Re-elected |
| Tioneatali Kemusiaki Lolani | 14 | 38.89 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Total | 36 | |||
| Mutalau | Maureen Melekitama | 29 | 59.18 | Elected |
| Makaseau Ioane | 18 | 36.73 | Unseated | |
| Blank or invalid votes | 2 | 4.08 | ||
| Total | 49 | |||
| Namukulu | Sione Sionetuato | Elected unopposed | ||
| Tamakautoga | Ricky Makani | 46 | 60.52 | Re-elected |
| Peter Funaki | 25 | 32.89 | ||
| Blank or invalid votes | 5 | 6.58 | ||
| Total | 76 | |||
| Toi | Dion Taufitu | Re-elected unopposed | ||
| Tuapa | Mona Ainuu | Re-elected unopposed | ||
| Vaiea | Talaititama Talaiti | Re-elected unopposed | ||