2013_Nauruan_parliamentary_election

2013 Nauruan parliamentary election

2013 Nauruan parliamentary election

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Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 8 June 2013.[1] After Parliament was dissolved on 1 March,[2] the elections were set for 6 April.[3] However, a Supreme Court ruling annulled the dissolution and cancelled the elections.[4] Parliament was dissolved again on 23 May, approximately one month before the normal end of its mandate, and elections were set for 22 June 2013,[5] however President Sprent Dabwido declared a state of emergency and brought the election forward to 8 June.[1] Parliament first sat on June 11 and Fisheries Minister Baron Waqa, the leader of the government forces, was elected president.[6]

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Background

In February 2013 a constitutional crisis developed after two cabinet members resigned and a third was sacked by President Sprent Dabwido, leaving just two members in the cabinet, whilst the 18-member Parliament split into three factions.[7] On 1 March Parliamentary Speaker Ludwig Scotty dissolved Parliament due to unruly behaviour by MPs,[8] and elections were set for 6 April.

Former President Marcus Stephen, who was one of the cabinet members to leave in February threatened to bring a legal challenge against the dissolution, claiming it had been carried out in an unconstitutional manner as MPs had not been given the chance to challenge the dissolution.[9] When Stephens and seven other MPs did take the matter to the Supreme Court, it ruled that the adjournment had been carried out unconstitutionally.[10] However, a government spokesman claimed that the Court had no power to force Scotty to reconvene Parliament.[11]

In mid-March the Supreme Court ruled that as the dissolution was null and void, the writ issued for elections in April was also null and void.[4]

Speaker Scotty resigned on 18 April and was replaced by Godfrey Thoma on 25 April. Thoma announced on 16 May that Parliament would be dissolved a week from that date.[12] Speaker Thoma dissolved Parliament on 23 May and set elections for 22 June.[5] On 27 May 2013 President Dabwido declared a state of emergency and re-set the election for 8 June 2013.[1]

Electoral system

MPs are elected in eight multi-members constituencies using the Dowdall system, a modified version of the Borda count. Voters rank candidates by preference, with the first preference given a score of 1, the second preference a score of 1⁄2, the third preference a score of 1⁄3 and so on. Voters must rank all candidates on the ballot for it to be valid. The candidates with the highest scores win the seats in a constituency.[13]

Until this election there had been 18 seats in Parliament with seven two-seat constituencies and one four-seat constituency, but following the June 2010 elections Parliament passed a bill to increase the number of seats to 19 to avoid 9–9 ties in the legislature.[14] The extra member will be elected in the Meneng Constituency, which previously had two seats.[15]

A record total of 68 candidates registered for the elections.[16]

Results

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By constituency

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Presidential election

On 11 June the newly elected MPs elected the president, who was required by the constitution be a member of parliament.[17] Baron Waqa defeated Roland Kun by 13 votes to five.[18]

References

  1. [1]
    Nauru calls emergency for early elections Adelaid Now, 27 May 2013
  2. [2]
    Nauru awaits election date with parliament set to be dissolved PINA, 1 March 2013
  3. [3]
    "Nauru parliament dissolved and election date announced". Radio New Zealand. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Supreme court orders cancellation of Nauru election". Radio New Zealand. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  5. [5]
    Nauru calls June 22 election Archived 2014-01-03 at the Wayback Machine 9 News, 23 May 2013
  6. [6]
    "Baron Waqa named as new Nauru president - Yahoo!7". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  7. [7]
    Nauru MP Alleges Government Has Lost Mandate Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine Pacific Islands Report, 20 February 2013
  8. [8]
    Nauru's Speaker dissolves parliament Politics Abroad, 1 March 2013
  9. [9]
    "Nauru MP could bring legal challenge over parliamentary adjournment". Radio New Zealand. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  10. [10]
    "Nauru court rules parliament illegally adjourned". Radio New Zealand. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Nauru parliament adjournment risks constitutional crisis". Radio New Zealand. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  12. [12]
    "Nauru MPs fail to topple president". Radio New Zealand. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  13. [13]
    Election Profile IFES
  14. [14]
    Nauru country brief Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  15. [15]
    President Dabwido gives it another go Archived 2013-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Island Business, 6 June 2013
  16. [16]
    Nauru prepares for 'critical' elections this weekend Archived 2013-10-27 at the Wayback Machine RZNI, 7 June 2013
  17. [17]
    Constitution of Nauru (PDF) (Constitution, The President III). The Parliament of Nauru. 29 January 1968. p. 12-13.
  18. [18]
    "Nauru swears in new president". Bangkok Post. 11 June 2013.
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