Tarawa Teinanano Electoral District polling station. 25 October 2024 Photo: Supplied / Ruth Cross Kwansing
Late drama has unfolded in the Kiribati presidential election with one of the three candidates from the ruling party breaking away to form his own alliance, challenging incumbent president Taneti Mamau.
Mamau had used his party's overwhelming majority after the election in August to block nominations for presidency from the opposition party.
Voting is already underway with polls opening at 8am Friday morning local time and is set to close at 6pm.
Newly elected MP Ruth Cross Kwansing, who has joined the former ruling Tobwaan Kiribati Party (TKP), said it was confirmed at a caucas meeting on Monday that the presidential candidate Kaotitaake Kokoria had broken away to form an alliance of new MPs.
"This defection was a huge disappointement to Tobwaan Kiribati Party. We consider ourselves a tightly knit family loyal to our respected leader Taneti Maamau and each other," Ruth Cross Kwansing said.
Kawnsing said the former ruling TKP still claims to have the support of 32 MPs, the official opposition Kamanoan Kiribati Party(KKP) 5MPs, Kaotitaake Kokoria's new alliance 3MPs, Kiribati Moa Party (KMP) 3MPs and two independent MPs round out the current allegiances in the 45 member parliament heading into today's election.
Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Kiribati Parliament) Photo: Facebook / Maneaba ni Maungatabu
The Kiribati parliament used to have 46 members with the attorney general serving as an ex-officio member but this position was removed by a constitutional change in 2016.
If these numbers hold true, either Taneti Maamau or his fellow party candidate Bauntaake Beia should be able to return the TKP to government.
However, Kwansing said with all the smaller parties now throwing their weight behind the breakaway presidential candidate, there is no telling how people will vote.
Taneti Maamau Photo: RNZ / Jamie Tahana
The country's first president now a senior opposition MP in the KKP Sir Ieremaia Tebai agreed with Kwansing's assessment of support in the Maneaba, or Parliament.
But he said historically those allegiances will shift in favour of whoever wins the presidential election.
As to the pedigree of the breakaway presidential challenger, Sir Ieremaia said he is a first time MP with an academic background in public administration but politically remains unknown.
"We don't know much about him and its not easy to support him but we have no other option anyway," Sir Ieramaia said.
The results of the presidential election is expected on Saturday.