Pacific

Opposition candidate confirmed for Cook Islands by-election

15:07 pm on 31 December 2014

Kete Ioane has been officially nominated as the Cook Islands Democratic Party's candidate for a by-election on Aitutaki.

The party's leader, Wilkie Rasmussen, says work is now underway to win the by-election emphatically to remove any doubt about a majority.

Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands Photo: RNZI

The Cook Islands News reports the nomination was delivered to Rarotonga by the One Cook Islands Party leader Teina Bishop.

Mr Bishop -- who holds the other seat on Aitutaki -- will be Mr Ioane's campaign manager, and his party is not putting up a candidate.

The by-election will be held on the 17th of February, and its announcement has revived hopes that the Democrats and the One Cook Islands party will be able to form a coalition government.