Pacific

Cook Islands Party candidate wins petition against election result in Titikaveka

09:17 am on 11 December 2004

Cook Islands Party candidate Tiki Matapo has been declared the winner of the Titikaveka seat in the general elections.

Matapo was successful with his petition challeging the election night result which declared the seat had been won Democratic Party candidate Robert Wigmore.

Matapo challenged 11 electors who cast their votes in the election in Titikaveka.

Yesterday, Justice Kenneth Hingston ruled that the votes of nine of those electors were invalid.

After a recount of the poll, Matapo had 264 votes and Wigmore 262

Justice Hingston has still to deliver his decision on the bribery and treating part of Matapo's petition before he signs a certificate to be handed to the speaker of parliament declaring Matapo the winner of the Titikaveka constituency

Justice Hingston is still considering a second petition involving the Prime Minister, Robert Woonton, and challenger Henry Puna in Manihiki