RAROTONGA — Cook Islands voters went to the polls on Wednesday to elect a new 24-member parliament, with Prime Minister Mark Brown seeking another term as the country weighs its expanding relationship with China alongside its longstanding constitutional ties with New Zealand.
The election will determine the composition of the 19th Parliament after the previous legislature was dissolved on June 25. The official parliamentary website confirmed Aug. 12 as election day and said the government entered caretaker mode during the campaign.
The vote was contested across the Cook Islands' 24 single-member constituencies under a first-past-the-post system. One seat, Ivirua on Mangaia, was settled without a ballot after Agnes Helen Armstrong emerged as the only nominated candidate. The remaining constituencies were contested by 62 candidates, according to election information reported by Pacific Islands News Association.
Brown's Cook Islands Party entered the election seeking to retain power after winning 12 seats in the 2022 election and forming a government with support from independent lawmakers. The Democratic Party, led by Tina Browne, and the Cook Islands United Party, led by Teariki Heather, were among the principal challengers.
China's growing role has been a major foreign-policy issue surrounding the election. In February 2025, Brown's government signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership action plan with China covering areas including economic development, climate resilience and marine cooperation. The Cook Islands government has said the arrangement is non-binding and contains no defence or security provisions.
The agreement strained relations with New Zealand, which is constitutionally linked to the Cook Islands through free association and has traditionally been its principal security and development partner. Wellington raised concerns after saying it had not been adequately consulted over the China arrangements.
The dispute eased in April when the two governments signed a non-legally binding Declaration on Defence and Security. The agreement established a framework for cooperation and consultation while leaving the constitutional relationship unchanged.
The election comes as wider strategic competition intensifies across the Pacific, including debate over China's military activity and the role of outside powers. The Cook Islands government has maintained that it has the sovereign right to develop international partnerships while continuing its close relationship with New Zealand.
With polling completed, the formation of the next government will depend on the officially confirmed constituency results and the resulting balance of seats in the 24-member parliament.
