Cook Islands Times Weekly | Issue 170 02 October 2006

IT’S NOT OVER YET
CIP looks to bounce back


Henry Puna still hoping to win Manihiki

WAS THE Cook Islands Party (CIP) robbed of victory in the elections?
What part did senior party members play in the sudden change of campaign tactics just days before voting and the drop off in voter support as a result?
The CIP leadership is contemplating these questions while at the same time building momentum for a wide range of possible legal challenges.
The mood at CIP headquarters on Friday morning was calm and those present were concentrating hard on reviewing rolls and sifting through evidence in preparation for possible petitions following announcement of the final count which is expected to be sometime next week after special votes have been counted.
TWO SEATS
The CIP is quietly confident of picking up at least two seats, one being Manihiki where CIP leader Henry Puna is just eight votes adrift of the Democratic Party’s Apii Piho.
Looking at the white board in leader Henry Puna’s office, the CIP has listed the seats it is confident of retaining and also snatching off the Demos.
Party officials are confident of retaining the marginal seats of Avatiu, Akaoa and Matavera.
Surprisingly, CIP’s Tupou Faireka who trails Demos Pastor John Tangi by 56 votes, is very confident of clawing his way back on the back of 92 or so special votes.
He told the Times on Thursday, he thinks he can still win. Some insiders though say he has a tough road because his campaign bypassed the O’Oa area.
TITIKAVEKA
The CIP is even confident of retaking Titikaveka, where Tiki Matapo trails the Demos’ Robert Wigmore by 48 votes.
The CIP also predicts they could snatch Mauke where George Cowan trails the Demos’ Mapu Taia by only 7 votes.
Those most optimistic among the CIP’s inner circle say two Aitutaki seats could very well fall to the CIP if legal action is successful. These are Vaipae-Tautu (where George Pitt trails the Demos’ Kete Ioane by 22 votes with 65 specials to be counted) and Amuri-Ureia (where John Baxter trails the Demos’ Junior Maoate by 40 votes)
Henry Puna travels to Aitutaki Saturday to speak to the CIP candidates.
In Ruaau, CIP’s Vaine Wichman, who was 67 votes short of the Demos’ Smiley Heather, is contemplating her own separate legal challenge.
The super optimists at the CIP office have CIP coming out with 14 seats to the Demos 10 if all goes their way. A reversal of fortune? At present it’s 14-10 the other way.
So what went wrong for the CIP? Why did the CIP take such a beating on the night?
CIP insiders claim the party was cruelly robbed of certain victory just a few days before voting took place. All through the campaign, the rallies had been well attended, the mood was upbeat and confidence of victory was high.
So, what went wrong? How did it all turn to custard?
Insiders say a sudden change of campaigning tactics in the week before voting, caused many CIP supporters to question the party’s motives. The claim is that many CIP supporters as a result, did not show up at the polling booths.
SHIFT
It is common knowledge that on the Wednesday out from the election, CIP media statements and advertising were evidence of a major shift in emphasis to a more “aggressive” thrust.
Up until then the approach had a “softly, softly” look about it but most insiders felt the CIP was actually making good ground on the Demos’ slick television and newspaper campaign although the Demos had got off to a good head start.
Some in the CIP saw no need, based on feedback, to alter course. However, it seemed others in the CIP hierarchy opted for a change in approach. The Demos campaign strategist Tony Brown was to label the CIP’s approach on television as “firm, aggressive.”
STATEMENT
The publishing in the Cook Islands News of Sir Geoffrey Henry’s long statement on the dissolution of parliament is now thought to have been a tactical error.
This is in that it revisited a controversial matter the public thought had been deferred by the CIP until after the election.
The CIP lacked widespread public support on that issue and to revive it just prior to voting was not helpful.
Yet despite the issues being dealt with behind the scenes, the party remains in good spirits. As in the aftermath of the 2004 elections - which resulted in unstable government following several petitions - officials are hoping the outcome is not a “hung” parliament.
The public has now woken to and is wary of Demo leader Dr Terepai Maoate’s comments regarding the issue of the prime ministership. Doubt continues to exist.
No doubt Dr Maoate will be hoping to avoid the situation which arose after the 2004 election when the leadership issue arose between himself and then Prime Minister Dr Woonton.
It caused a rift and Dr Woonton eventually aligned himself and his followers with the CIP.

Headlines : Times 170
- Business as usual
- Its not over yet!
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- TANGI: MY WAY
- The trouble with Tangaroa
- ‘Surviving’ here would be easy
- WE’RE IN : Pacific Women in Media plan gets Cooks input

Headlines : Times 169
- JOB CHANGE HITS DEMOS
- Where election will be decided
- VIEWS: "Integrity: Is it important?"
- Letter to the Editor: Our genealogy through Rangi Makeakea
- Taio sails in to help
- William Kauvai stands up to a big man in his vaka
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- Cooks teen ‘froze’ as baby drowned

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