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| Registered | 54,776 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 68.77% | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Map of margin of victory by electoral district | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Subdivisions |
Presidential elections were held in Kiribati on 25 October 2024, [1] [2] following parliamentary elections in August. Incumbent President Taneti Maamau of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party was re-elected with about 55% of the vote to Kaotitaake Kokoria's 42%. [3] His inauguration took place on 1 November 2024. [4]
The president is directly elected by plurality vote from three or four candidates nominated by and from among members of the House of Assembly. [5] [6] The parliament sits as soon as possible after the general election to elect a new Speaker and choose the candidates for the presidential election. If only three or four nominations are received, the Speaker declares those members to be the candidates for the election. [7] If more than four nominations are received, parliament votes by secret ballot in two rounds to eliminate the surplus nominees. [8] [9] The Constitution does not (on its face) envisage a situation where fewer than three candidates are nominated, but the 2020 Kiribati presidential election proceeded with only two candidates. This was held to be constitutional by the High Court. [10]
The 2024 parliamentary election resulted in a supermajority for the ruling Tobwaan Kiribati Party, which was then able to block the nomination of opposition party candidates for the presidential election when parliament sat on 13 September 2024. The TKP nominated incumbent president Taneti Maamau, alongside three other members of the TKP described as "dummy candidates": Bautaake Beia from Washington (Teraina), Riteta Iorome from Onotoa, and Kaotitaake Kokoria from Fanning (Tabuaeran), all first-time members of parliament. [11] [12]
Opposition leader Tessie Lambourne decried the move, saying "Kiribati is now a one-party state." [13]
On 30 September 2024 the manifestos of three of the candidates were published. [14] [15] It was later reported that candidate Riteta Iorome had withdrawn. [16]
Opposition figures, including former president Ieremia Tabai, called for a boycott of the election, in protest at the exclusion of opposition candidates. [17] Prior to the election being held, Kaotitaake Kokoria defected away from the TKP to form a new alliance, with the support of two other MPs. [18] Taneti Maamau was widely expected to retain his position. [11]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taneti Maamau | Tobwaan Kiribati Party | 20,676 | 55.05 | |
| Kaotitaake Kokoria | Independent [a] | 15,787 | 42.03 | |
| Bautaake Beia | Tobwaan Kiribati Party | 1,094 | 2.91 | |
| Total | 37,557 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 37,557 | 99.70 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 114 | 0.30 | ||
| Total votes | 37,671 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 54,776 | 68.77 | ||
| Source: Erikan Eribati Moantau (Facebook) - unofficial | ||||
| Electoral district | Bautaake Beia | Kaotitaake Kokoria | Taneti Maamau | Valid | Invalid/ blank | Total | Registered voters | Turnout (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abaiang | 81 | 967 | 1,043 | 2,091 | 4 | 2,095 | 3,176 | 66.0 |
| Abemama | 37 | 598 | 824 | 1,459 | 6 | 1,465 | 2,082 | 70.4 |
| Aranuka | 13 | 217 | 271 | 501 | 0 | 501 | 726 | 69.0 |
| Arorae | 16 | 303 | 64 | 383 | 0 | 383 | 530 | 72.3 |
| Banaba | 3 | 36 | 111 | 150 | 0 | 150 | 220 | 68.2 |
| Beru | 29 | 452 | 472 | 953 | 5 | 958 | 1,197 | 80.0 |
| Betio | 125 | 2,108 | 2,720 | 4,953 | 11 | 4,964 | 7,855 | 63.2 |
| Butaritari | 30 | 242 | 1,172 | 1,444 | 1 | 1,445 | 1,737 | 83.2 |
| Fanning (Tabuaeran) | 9 | 862 | 99 | 970 | 2 | 972 | 1,108 | 87.7 |
| Kiritimati (and Kanton) | 99 | 1,483 | 1,280 | 2,862 | 8 | 2,870 | 3,879 | 74.0 |
| Kuria | 7 | 314 | 155 | 476 | 2 | 478 | 683 | 70.0 |
| Maiana | 42 | 536 | 345 | 923 | 2 | 925 | 1,255 | 73.7 |
| Makin | 33 | 297 | 428 | 758 | 2 | 760 | 1,111 | 68.4 |
| Marakei | 40 | 211 | 851 | 1,102 | 0 | 1,102 | 1,550 | 71.1 |
| Nikunau | 31 | 269 | 639 | 939 | 2 | 941 | 1,143 | 82.3 |
| Nonouti | 27 | 661 | 390 | 1,074 | 0 | 1,078 | 1,484 | 72.6 |
| North Tabiteuea | 74 | 593 | 869 | 1,536 | 3 | 1,539 | 2,086 | 73.8 |
| Onotoa | 3 | 29 | 758 | 790 | 2 | 792 | 930 | 85.2 |
| Rural Tarawa (North Tarawa) | 87 | 936 | 1,655 | 2,678 | 17 | 2,695 | 4,183 | 64.4 |
| South Tabiteuea | 1 | 57 | 438 | 496 | 1 | 497 | 648 | 76.7 |
| Tamana | 7 | 125 | 142 | 274 | 0 | 274 | 420 | 65.2 |
| Tarawa Teinainano (South Tarawa) | 217 | 4,320 | 5,430 | 9,967 | 46 | 10,013 | 15,823 | 63.3 |
| Teraina | 83 | 171 | 520 | 774 | 0 | 774 | 950 | 81.5 |
| Total | 1,094 | 15,787 | 20,676 | 37,557 | 114 | 37,667 | 54,776 | 68.8 |
| Source: Erikan Eribati Moantau (Facebook) - unofficial | ||||||||
Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Beretitenti, President of Kiribati, is both the head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, Beretitenti, and his cabinet, all MPs. Legislative power is exercised by the House of Assembly. The Judiciary of Kiribati is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution of Kiribati, promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979, establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens and residents.
The president of Kiribati is the head of state and head of government of Kiribati.
The vice-president of Kiribati is the deputy head of State of the Republic of Kiribati. His or her constitutional functions are to exercise the duties of the President of Kiribati, temporarily or permanently, should the latter be unable to do so, and to "be responsible for such business of the government as the Beretitenti [President] may assign to him".
The Cabinet of Kiribati is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Kiribati.
The House of Assembly of Kiribati has a Speaker, a function adapted from the British Westminster model. The position was established in 1979 by article 71 of the Constitution, when the country became independent from the United Kingdom. It replaced the Speaker of the former House of Representatives existing since 1967, then known as Legislative Council in 1970 and House of Assembly since 1974.
Presidential elections were held in Kiribati on 9 March 2016. The result was a victory for Taneti Maamau of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party, who received 60% of the vote, with Rimeta Beniamina on 38.6% and Tianeti Ioane 1.5%.
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 2016. 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.
Presidential elections were held in Kiribati on 22 June 2020, following parliamentary elections in April. Incumbent President Taneti Maamau of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party was re-elected with 59% of the vote.
Tekeeua Tarati is an I-Kiribati politician and entrepreneur, Minister for Information, Communications, Transport and Tourism development since July 2020.
Willie Tokataake is an I-Kiribati politician and current Speaker of the House of Assembly.
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.
Kaotitaake Kokoria is an I-Kiribati politician. He is a member of the House of Assembly serving since August 2024. He was a candidate for the 2024 Kiribati presidential election, and finished second place with 42% of the vote.
Ruth Maryanne Cross Kwansing became an independent member of parliament in Kiribati in the 2024 election. She soon joined the Tobwaan Kiribati Party.
Alexander Teabo is an I-Kiribati politician currently serving as the Minister of Education of Kiribati since 2020. Alongside that, he's serving as a Member of the Parliament of Kiribati from the Butaritari constituency since 2007 and has formerly served as the Minister of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development from 2016 to 2020.
