Cook Islands general election, 1965

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General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 20 April 1965 to elect 22 MPs to the Cook Islands Legislative Assembly. [1] The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party and saw Albert Henry become the Cook Islands' first Prime Minister.

Cook Islands state in the South Pacific Ocean

The Cook Islands is a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1,800,000 square kilometres (690,000 sq mi) of ocean.

Parliament of the Cook Islands unicameral legislature of the Cook Islands

The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand’s United Nations mandate it became the national legislature on independence in 1965.

Cook Islands Party

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the islands' politics since 1965.

Because the election had the potential to result in removing the Cook Islands from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, the election was observed by representatives of the UN. The holding of an election was necessary prior to the Constitution of the Cook Islands coming into force and the constitution, if approved by the elected Legislature, would institute self-government for the Cook Islands. After the election, the Legislative Assembly approved the constitution and the Cook Islands became self-governing on 4 August 1965. As a result, the UN removed the Cook Islands from its list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories document, maintained by the UN General Assembly, listing territories that are not self-governing and subject to decolonization, according to Chapter XI of the UN Charter

The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories is a list of places that the United Nations General Assembly deems to be "non-self-governing" and subject to the decolonization process. Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter embodies a "Declaration on Non-Self-Governing Territories" which declares that the interests of the occupants of dependent territories are paramount and requires member states of the United Nations in control of non-self-governing territories to submit annual information reports concerning the development of those territories. Since 1946, the General Assembly has maintained a list of non-self governing territories under member states' control. Since its inception, dozens of territories have been removed from the list, typically when they attained independence or internal self-government, while other territories have been added as new administering countries joined the United Nations or the General Assembly reassessed the status of certain territories.

Summary of the 20 April 1965 Cook Islands Parliament of the Cook Islands election results

Elections in the Cook Islands

Elections in the Cook Islands gives information on election and election results in the Cook Islands.

e    d  
PartiesVotes%Seats
Cook Islands Party 951152.2514
Independents869347.758
Total 18204 93.922
Source: [2]

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References

  1. "Voyage to Statehood". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  2. David Stone (1970). "Parties and politics in Polynesia: Political trends in the self-governing Cook Islands". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 79 (2): 178.