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.
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.
Ieremia Tienang Tabai is an I-Kiribati politician who served as the first president of Kiribati from 1979 to 1991. He previously served in the equivalent role, chief minister, under the colonial government from 1978 to 1979. Tabai returned to the House of Assembly in 1998 and represented Nonouti as of his re-election in 2024.
The president of Kiribati is the head of state and head of government of Kiribati.
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.
Taomati T. Iuta was an I-Kiribati politician. He was Speaker of the House of Assembly of Kiribati for the Ninth Parliament (2011–2015). He was the vice president of Kiribati from 1991 to 1994.
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.
Maere Tekanene is a former I-Kiribati politician, and part of the Pillars of Truth party, who was the Kiribati Member of Parliament for the South Tarawa constituency from 2011, and the Education Minister from 2012, until losing her seat at the 2015–16 parliamentary election.
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.
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.
Ratimiti Babera Kirata (1938-1991) was an I-Kiribati politician, elected in the House of Representatives in 1967 for the constituency of Onotoa. He was nominated candidate to the 1978 Gilbertese Chief Minister election. He was born in Onotoa where he was continuously elected MP from 1978 to his death, dying less than one month before the general election of May 1991. He was at that moment one of the possible candidates to the succession of Ieremia Tabai as the Beretitenti. He was one of the founders and the first president of the Gilbertese National Party and later of the National Progressive Party (Kiribati). He had been continuously member of the Cabinet of Kiribati from 1979 to 1991.
The Ministry of Information, Communications, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD) is a government ministry of Kiribati, headquartered in Betio, South Tarawa.
The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development is a government ministry of Kiribati, headquartered in Bikenibeu, South Tarawa.
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.
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.
Presidential elections were held in Kiribati on 25 October 2024, following parliamentary elections in August. Incumbent President Taneti Maamau of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party was re-elected with 55% of the vote.
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.
