No run off for Demos in Ngatangiia

President of the Democratic Party, Sean Willis, advised the Herald on Wednesday morning that it has been decided by the Ngatangiia Committee that the sitting MP Sir Terepai Maoate will contest the Ngatangiia seat in the upcoming election.
Willis said the decision follows a written request to the Chairman of the Ngatangiia Committee, Tu Tutai, on 2 August 2010 from Mann Short, Steven Peyroux and Iaveta Short and countersigned by several others.
The request was for another publically advertised meeting of supporters to be called.
Among other matters this meeting would decide on a date for a meeting to elect the official candidate for Ngatangiia and it was suggested the meeting be held on 12 August.
The letter sent expressed concern that the announcement of Sir Terepai Maoate as the candidate following a meeting in May was not open and contestable as other candidates were not given the opportunity to put their names forward. It was pointed out that at the last election, other candidates withdrew their nominations as it was to be Sir Terepai’s last term in parliament.
On 9 August the Ngatangiia Committee wrote to Mann Short, Steven Peyroux and Iaveta Short to advise the Committee considered their request on 4 August.
They said the meeting to elect a candidate was held at Sir Terepai’s residence on 4 May and queried the three month delay in their request.
They confirmed the deadline for electorates to confirm their candidate was 31 July and Sir Terepai’s confirmation was made on 30 July just before noon. Other prospective candidates had ample time to register their interest.
The Committee said both Mann Short and Steven Peyroux were at the meeting on 4 May and did not raise any queries when the question regarding candidates was mentioned twice.
The Committee noted Iaveta Short was not a registered elector for the Ngatangiia constituency.
The Committee said it did not want to portray itself publically as having no sense of direction and consequently unanimously declined the request for a run off.

By Charles Pitt

Herald Issue 463 10 June
- World famous activist assisting residents
- Budget will decide if residents prosecute Government over landfill
- Forestry project sucking Mangaia dry
- Budget 2010 – fiasco or disaster?