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| Turnout | 79.67% | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Map of margin of victory by electoral district | |||||||||||||||||||
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Presidential elections were held in Kiribati on 22 June 2020, [1] following parliamentary elections in April. Incumbent President Taneti Maamau of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party was re-elected with 59% of the vote. [2]
Relations with China and Taiwan was the main issue during the elections, with Maamau having switched Kiribati's recognition to China from Taiwan, while Berina seen as more sympathetic toward Taiwan. [3] The elections were seen by many as a critical test for the Chinese Communist Party's expansionist foreign policy. [4] [5]
The results were declared on 23 June 2020 by Chief Justice John Muria at the Ministry of Justice headquarters in South Tarawa. Maamau won the election with 59% of the vote, receiving a majority in 16 of the 23 constituencies, while Berina finished first in seven constituencies. [6] [7]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taneti Maamau | Tobwaan Kiribati Party | 26,053 | 59.32 | |
| Banuera Berina | Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party | 17,866 | 40.68 | |
| Total | 43,919 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 43,919 | 99.75 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 112 | 0.25 | ||
| Total votes | 44,031 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 55,268 | 79.67 | ||
| Source: Ministry of Justice | ||||
| Electoral district | Maamau | Berina |
|---|---|---|
| Abaiang | 1,372 | 1,030 |
| Abemama | 1,066 | 466 |
| Aranuka | 346 | 231 |
| Arorae | 71 | 420 |
| Banaba | 66 | 109 |
| Beru | 609 | 497 |
| Betio | 4,033 | 2,264 |
| Butaritari | 927 | 541 |
| Kiritimati | 1,706 | 1,473 |
| Kuria | 131 | 424 |
| Maiana | 95 | 849 |
| Makin | 404 | 483 |
| Marakei | 972 | 244 |
| Nikunau | 584 | 297 |
| Nonouti | 338 | 962 |
| North Tarawa | 1,846 | 1,006 |
| Onotoa | 811 | 20 |
| Tabiteuea North | 1,011 | 552 |
| Tabiteuea South | 465 | 201 |
| Tabuaeran | 168 | 621 |
| Tamana | 218 | 179 |
| TUC | 8,347 | 4,732 |
| Teraina | 4,65 | 265 |
| Total | 26,053 | 17,866 |
The islands which now form the Republic of Kiribati have been inhabited for at least seven hundred years, and possibly much longer. The initial Austronesian peoples’ population, which remains the overwhelming majority today, was visited by Polynesian and Melanesian invaders before the first European sailors visited the islands in the 17th century. For much of the subsequent period, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was ruled as part of the British Empire. The country gained its independence in 1979 and has since been known as Kiribati.
Anote Tong is an I-Kiribati environmental activist and former politician for the Pillars of Truth party with half Chinese heritage, who served as the fourth president of Kiribati, from 2003 to 2016. He won the election in July 2003 with a slim plurality of votes cast (47.4%) against his older brother, Harry Tong (43.5%) and the private lawyer Banuera Berina (9.1%). The elections were contested by the opposition, due to allegations of electoral fraud but the High Court of Tarawa had confirmed that there was no fraud. He was re-elected on 17 October 2007 for a second term (64%). In 2012, Tong was reelected for a third term, although with a significantly smaller percentage than in the previous two elections.
The president of Kiribati is the head of state and head of government of Kiribati.
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2024, eleven states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and three have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.
The Republic of Kiribati and the People's Republic of China (PRC) established diplomatic relations on June 25, 1980, and resumed on September 27, 2019. Between 2003 and 2019, The government of Kiribati recognized the Republic of China, and, in accordance with the "One China" policy, the People's Republic of China did not have diplomatic relations to the country.
The Cabinet of Kiribati is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Kiribati.
The Tobwaan Kiribati Party is a political party in Kiribati.
Taneti Maamau is an I-Kiribati politician who has served as the fifth president of Kiribati since 11 March 2016. Maamau is a member of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party. His policies are targeted at strengthening Kiribati's weak economy and alleviating social issues. His government announced the Kiribati Vision for 20 Years (KV20), which plans to develop the tourism and fishing industries with aid from foreign investors.
Tessie Eria Lambourne is an I-Kiribati civil servant, diplomat and politician. She has been a member of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Parliament) since April 2020. She was formerly Kiribati's Ambassador to Taiwan from June 2018 to September 2019 and Secretary to the Cabinet, the highest position in Kiribati's civil service, from August 2016 until June 2018.
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati in 2020 to elect members of the House of Assembly. The elections were originally planned on 7 April 2020, with a second round of voting to be held on 15 April 2020. However, in late March the Electoral Commission changed the voting date to 14 April 2020, with a second round on 21 April 2020.
Banuera Berina is a lawyer and a politician from Kiribati, representing Kuria in the House of Assembly. He was the opposition candidate in the 2020 Kiribati presidential election.
The Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party (BKM) was a political party in Kiribati from the merger of the Kiribati First Party and Boutokaan te Koaua in 2020.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) is a government ministry of Kiribati. The Minister is the President of Kiribati since its creation.
Events from 2020 in Kiribati.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kiribati refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Kiribati. In 1976 the first branch was organized in Tarawa. As at the 2020 Census, there were 6,720 people declaring as LDS members. According to LDS church, as of year-end 2022, there were 22,210 members in 43 congregations, making it the largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia. Kiribati also has the most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the third most members per capita of any country in the world, behind Tonga and Samoa.
Kiribati-Taiwan relations refers to relations between Kiribati and Taiwan. Kiribati, under the government of President Taneti Mamau, initially recognised the ROC but switched to PRC later on.
Marie C. Damour is an American diplomat who is the current Ambassador to Fiji, serving concurrently as the ambassador to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. She previously served as Consul General of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
A constitutional crisis began in Kiribati when the Cabinet of Kiribati suspended two of its High Court Justices. High Court Judge David Lambourne was suspended in May 2022 while Chief Justice Bill Hastings was suspended on 30 June 2022, both over allegations of misconduct. A Court of Appeal ruling upheld an earlier ruling of Chief Justice Hastings that the government acted unconstitutionally in not permitting David Lambourne to resume his duties as a High Court judge, and overturned the subsequent attempted deportation of Lambourne. In response, the government suspended all judges of the Kiribati Court of Appeal on 6 September 2022.
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati in 2024 to elect members of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, with the first round held on 14 August and the second on 19 August.
