Politics of Niue
Encyclopedia
Politics of Niue
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
dependency
, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. Niue is self-governing in free association with New Zealand
and is fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with Niue. The Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ)
vests executive authority in Her Majesty the Queen in Right of New Zealand
and the Governor-General of New Zealand
. The constitution specifies that in everyday practice, it is exercised by a Cabinet
of the Premier of Niue and three other ministers. The premier and ministers must be members of the Niue Assembly
, the nation's legislative assembly.
The Judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
|Elizabeth II
|
|6 February 1952
|-
|Queen's Representative: The Governor-General of New Zealand
|Sir Anand Satyanand
|
|5 August 2006
|-
|New Zealand High Commissioner
|HE Brian Smythe
|
|January 2008
|-
|Premier of Niue
|Toke Talagi
|
|19 June 2008
|}
The monarch is hereditary; her representative in relation to Niue (the Governor-General of New Zealand) is appointed by the monarch. The New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by, and acts solely as a diplomatic agent of, the New Zealand Government. The cabinet is chosen by the premier and appointed by the Speaker of the Niue Assembly and collectively responsible to Parliament.
has 20 members elected for a three year term, 6 elected on a common roll and 14 representatives of the villages. Electors must be New Zealand citizens, resident for at least three months, and candidates must have been electors, resident for twelve months. The speaker is elected from among the members.
have never played an important role. There is, at present, no political party, and candidates to elections therefore run as independents. The only party ever to have existed, the Niue People's Party
, disbanded in 2003.
As there are no political parties, there is no formal parliamentary Opposition
. However, independent member of the Assembly O'Love Jacobsen
has been Premier Young Vivian
's most regular opponent and critic.
sitting in the United Kingdom is Niue's highest court. On the island, there is a Court of Appeal (which sat in New Zealand until 2009), and the High Court of Niue. The chief justice is Patrick Savage
.
in Niue have a Village council, the term in office is three years before going back to the polls. The election of the members of the village council follows the same rules and regulations used in the General Election
to elect members of the Niue Legislative Assembly
(parliament). At the first meeting of the Village Council the Chairman will be elected, including the Deputy Chair and the appointment of the Secretary/Treasurer. The Village Council receives grants from the Government, donor agencies also fund some development projects. The Council use to organize show days and conduct fundraising
activities to generate revenue
to help run some of the activities of the village.
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Niue is self-governing in free association with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and is fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with Niue. The Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ)
Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ)
The Schedules of the Niue Constitution Act 1974 form the Niue constitution. It stipulates the make-up of the executive branch of the government, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch...
vests executive authority in Her Majesty the Queen in Right of New Zealand
Monarchy in New Zealand
The monarchy of New Zealand also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand,...
and the Governor-General of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
. The constitution specifies that in everyday practice, it is exercised by a Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of the Premier of Niue and three other ministers. The premier and ministers must be members of the Niue Assembly
Niue Assembly
The Niue Assembly is the legislature of Niue. It consists of 20 members, 14 representatives of the villages and 6 elected on a common roll. Members are directly elected by universal suffrage, and serve a three year term...
, the nation's legislative assembly.
The Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Executive branch
|Queen|Elizabeth II
|
|6 February 1952
|-
|Queen's Representative: The Governor-General of New Zealand
|Sir Anand Satyanand
Anand Satyanand
Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ was the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand. He previously worked as a lawyer, judge and ombudsman.-Early life and family:...
|
|5 August 2006
|-
|New Zealand High Commissioner
|HE Brian Smythe
|
|January 2008
|-
|Premier of Niue
|Toke Talagi
Toke Talagi
Toke Tufukia Talagi is the current premier of Niue. He was elected premier by the Niue Assembly on 19 June 2008, defeating the standing premier Young Vivian by fourteen votes to five, with one abstaining....
|
|19 June 2008
|}
The monarch is hereditary; her representative in relation to Niue (the Governor-General of New Zealand) is appointed by the monarch. The New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by, and acts solely as a diplomatic agent of, the New Zealand Government. The cabinet is chosen by the premier and appointed by the Speaker of the Niue Assembly and collectively responsible to Parliament.
Legislative branch
The AssemblyNiue Assembly
The Niue Assembly is the legislature of Niue. It consists of 20 members, 14 representatives of the villages and 6 elected on a common roll. Members are directly elected by universal suffrage, and serve a three year term...
has 20 members elected for a three year term, 6 elected on a common roll and 14 representatives of the villages. Electors must be New Zealand citizens, resident for at least three months, and candidates must have been electors, resident for twelve months. The speaker is elected from among the members.
Political parties and elections
In Niue, political partiesPolitical Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
have never played an important role. There is, at present, no political party, and candidates to elections therefore run as independents. The only party ever to have existed, the Niue People's Party
Niue People's Party
The Niue People's Party was a political party in Niue. Founded in 1977, it was disbanded in 2005. It was, during that time, the country's only political party....
, disbanded in 2003.
As there are no political parties, there is no formal parliamentary Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
. However, independent member of the Assembly O'Love Jacobsen
O'Love Jacobsen
Tauveve O’Love Jacobsen is a Niuean politician and diplomat. She is currently Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand, after serving as a member of the Niue Assembly and a minister in Toke Talagi's government. She was previously a long-standing leading figure in the informal parliamentary...
has been Premier Young Vivian
Young Vivian
Mititaiagimene Young Vivian is a Niuean politician who has twice been the premier of his country. Representing the Niue People's Action Party, he defeated sitting premier Sani Lakatani in May 2002 elections. Vivian had previously served as premier for a brief period from 12 December 1992 to 9...
's most regular opponent and critic.
By-elections
Below is a list of recent by-elections:| Election | Date | Reason | Winner |
| 1988 Common Roll by-election | November 1988 | O'Love Jacobsen O'Love Jacobsen Tauveve O’Love Jacobsen is a Niuean politician and diplomat. She is currently Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand, after serving as a member of the Niue Assembly and a minister in Toke Talagi's government. She was previously a long-standing leading figure in the informal parliamentary... |
|
| 1997 Common Roll by-election | 15 February 1997 | Death of Toeono Tongatule | Billy Graham Talagi |
| 2003 Common Roll by-election | 30 August 2003 | Death of Hunukitama Hunuki | Krypton Okesene |
Judicial branch
The Judicial Committee of the Privy CouncilJudicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
sitting in the United Kingdom is Niue's highest court. On the island, there is a Court of Appeal (which sat in New Zealand until 2009), and the High Court of Niue. The chief justice is Patrick Savage
Patrick Savage
Patrick Savage is Chief Justice of Niue. He was appointed to the position on 10 September 2010, replacing Wilson Isaac.Savage has previously served as a Crown Solicitor in the Bay of Plenty. In 1995 he was appointed as a Judge of the Māori Land Court. He has also served on the Waitangi...
.
Administrative divisions
Niue is divided in 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are elected and serve three-year terms.International organization participation
ACP (Cotounu Convention), ESCAP (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, WHO, WMOLocal government
Local Government in Niue is established under the provisions of the Niue Village Council Act 1967. Every villageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Niue have a Village council, the term in office is three years before going back to the polls. The election of the members of the village council follows the same rules and regulations used in the General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
to elect members of the Niue Legislative Assembly
Niue Assembly
The Niue Assembly is the legislature of Niue. It consists of 20 members, 14 representatives of the villages and 6 elected on a common roll. Members are directly elected by universal suffrage, and serve a three year term...
(parliament). At the first meeting of the Village Council the Chairman will be elected, including the Deputy Chair and the appointment of the Secretary/Treasurer. The Village Council receives grants from the Government, donor agencies also fund some development projects. The Council use to organize show days and conduct fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
activities to generate revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
to help run some of the activities of the village.
See also
- Electoral calendar
- Electoral system
- List of political parties by country to browse parties by country
- Foreign relations of NiueForeign relations of NiueNiue is a small island country in the Pacific Ocean in a state of free association with New Zealand. The Queen in right of New Zealand is the head of state of Niue - as such Niue is part of the Realm of New Zealand....