Electoral officers on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands were yesterday completing the final count of the country's June 14 general elections.
Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Florence Syme-Buchanan
Chief Electoral Officer Taggy Tangimetua is expected to announce the final count today.
In the preliminary results, the opposition Democratic Party won 11 seats, just one ahead of the Cook Islands Party which has governed the Cook Islands for the past eight years.
Two seats were won by independents and a seat went to One Cook Islands.
The general elections saw many firsts for the Cook Islands including the youngest candidate 22-year old Tehani Brown winning a seat, and the first time ever a mother and daughter have won seats - with Ms Brown and her mother Rose Toka Brown winning both seats for the outer island of Atiu.
The general elections also saw the most number of women candidates ever.