2024 Kiribati parliamentary election

Of the 45 members of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, 44 are elected in 23 single and multi-member electoral districts (seven with one seat, eleven with two seats, and five with three seats) using a modified two-round system.^[2] The 45th member of the legislature is nominated by the Banaban community resident on Rabi Island in Fiji.^[3]

A voter has as many votes to cast as the number of seats in their electoral district. In the first round, a candidate is elected if they receive more than 50% of the ballots cast.^[2] When not all seats are filled, a second round is held with the number of candidates being equal to the number of seats remaining to be filled plus two, with those who received the fewest votes in the first round being eliminated. In the second round, voters have as many votes to cast as there are vacancies remaining. The top candidates are elected even if they do not receive a majority. A tie in the second round results in a third round of voting.^[4]

For the 2024 election, there are nearly 53,000 registered voters.^[5]

Among issues prominent during the election were inflation, rising sea levels, public spending, the national debt, and relations with China.^[6][7] In 2019 Kiribati President Taneti Maamau ended the nation's longstanding diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, instead recognizing the People's Republic of China. This caused a rift within his own government which resulted in the fiercely fought election in 2020. This switch has strained relations between Kiribati and various Pacific nations, as well as Australia, Kiribati's long-time traditional trade partner. This was coupled with Maamau withdrawing Kiribati from the Pacific Islands Forum claiming that the organization was no longer serving Kiribati's interests. Senior opposition figure Banuera Berina, who split from Maamau's Tobwaan Kiribati Party (TKP) due to the Chinese issue, called the nation's relationship with the PRC as "not healthy for the country". Additionally, Rimon Rimon, a local investigative journalist, described the island nation as "a landscape of fear" as Maamau and the TKP have created a political system dominated by personal patronage over party affiliation, where those with close ties to the government find it far easier to win elections due to being allocated government resources.^[8]

The Maamau-led government has partnered with the PRC on a series of infrastructure projects to boost the island's fishing and tourism industries, as well as letting the PRC rebuild a World War II-era American airbase on Kanton, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Fiji. In 2021 Maamau abolished the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, opening the area up for more PRC fishing vessels. Opposition candidates have also accused the TKP of being financially backed by the PRC, claiming that the PRC is funneling money into political coffers to prevent a change in the nation's leadership. In an effort to weaken the opposition, in August 2022 Maamau sought to deport High Court justice David Lambourne, husband of Leader of the Opposition Tessie Eria Lambourne. This move was initially blocked by Kiribati’s Court of Appeal. By September 2022 Maamau's attacks on the Judiciary had resulted in the suspension of Chief Justice William Hastings and all Court of Appeal judges, in a move that has been labeled as democratic backsliding and as autocratic.^[8]

A total of 114 people ran in the election, of which 18 were women.^[9] Out of the 44 seats to be contested, four candidates were declared elected unopposed at the close of nominations on 24 July 2024 - Tinian Reiher and Alexander Teabo from Butaritari, Bootii Nauan from South Tabiteuea and Tekeeua Tarati from Tamana.^[9] All four were incumbents, with three (Alexander, Bootii and Tekeeua) being Ministers in the outgoing TKP government.

On 22 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration announced that all scheduled diplomatic visits to the country were to be suspended or cancelled until 2025, citing concerns over their effect on the formation of a new government after the election and inability to accommodate visitors while the process was ongoing.^[19]

With the ruling Tobwaan Kiribati Party having won 33 of 45 seats, it was able to block the nomination of opposition candidates for president. The TKP nominated incumbent president Taneti Maamau, alongside others described as "dummy candidates." Maamau is expected to retain his position.^[20] Opposition leader Tessie Lambourne decried the move, saying "Kiribati is now a one-party state."^[21] The presidential election is scheduled for 25 October.^[22]