Kiribati : Constitution and politics

In the 2002 parliamentary elections, held on 29 November and 6 December, 17 Boutokaan Te Koaua (BTK) candidates were successful while President Teburoro Tito’s Maneaban Te Mauri (MTM) won only seven seats, and 16 seats were taken by independents. Teburoro Tito then narrowly won the presidential poll in February 2003, defeating his principal rival, Taberannang Timeon, by some 550 votes.

Less than a month into his third (and necessarily final) term, President Tito lost a no-confidence vote and fresh elections were called. In the parliamentary elections in May 2003, MTM took 24 of the 40 elected seats and the BTK 16, the independents having joined parties. However, in the close presidential poll, in July 2003, Anote Tong of the BTK defeated the MTM’s candidate, his younger brother Harry Tong, and formed a new government.

Parliamentary elections were held on 22 and 30 August 2007. Independent candidates won in 19 of the 44 seats available in the two-round contest, the legislature having been expanded from 40 to 44 elective seats in June 2007. BTK was the leading political party taking 18 seats, and MTM seven.

In the October 2007 presidential elections, Anote Tong – with 15,500 votes and 64 per cent of votes – was well ahead of his principal opponent, Nabuti Mwemwenikarawa.

Following the election of a new parliament in October/November 2011 – when President Tong’s BTK won 15 seats, the Karikirakean Tei-Kiribati (KTK) ten, and the Maurin Kiribati Party (MKP) three; and 30 of the 44 members were re-elected – the new legislature nominated three candidates to contest the presidential elections.

The presidential elections, held in January 2012, were won by the incumbent, Anote Tong of the BTK (42 per cent), defeating Tetaua Taitai of the KTK (35 per cent) and opposition leader Rimeta Beniamina of the MKP (23 per cent).

Head of government

HE Mr Anote Tong, President

His Excellency Mr Anote Tong is serving his second term in office as President of Kiribati following his victory in the October 2007 presidential election. He first took office in July 2003 as the country’s fourth President. Mr Tong is concurrently Minister of External Affairs and Immigration. He was Member of Parliament and a senior member of the Boutokaan Te Koaua Party from 1996 to 2003, and was re-elected in the August 2007 parliamentary election. Mr Tong previously served as Minister for Natural Resources Development from 1994 to 1996. He was appointed Secretary for the Ministry of Communication and Works from 1980 to 1982, and was Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education from 1976 to 1977. Mr Tong has been Chairperson of the National Fishing Company, the Development Bank of Kiribati, Otintai Hotel and Air Tungaru Co-operative. He has a Master’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics, UK, and a Bachelor’s degree in Science from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.