Tuakeu Tangatapoto
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Mitiaro
Assumed office
14 June 2018
Preceded byTangata Vavia
Personal details
Born4 February 1970
Political partyCook Islands Party

Tuakeu Tangatapoto (born 4 February 1970)[1] is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party.

Tangatapoto is from Mangaia and was educated at Mitiaro School, Tereora College, and the University of the South Pacific.[1] He worked as a government builder, acting Island secretary for Mitiaro, and as chief executive of Mitiaro's island government.[1][2]

He contested the seat of Mitiaro in the 2014 election, and gained an exact tie with his rival Tangata Vavia.[3] The tie was confirmed by a recount, and a by-election called, but the count was delayed by a court order.[4] The court found that one person had voted illegally in the general election, and as a result Vavia was declared the winner and the by-election votes discarded without being counted.[5] Tangatapoto subsequently defeated Vavia in the 2018 election.

He was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Tuakeu Tangatapoto". Cook Islands Parliament. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ Rashneel Kumar (22 August 2018). "New Mitiaro executive Charlie Rani focused on island agriculture". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Cook Islands elections: Prime Minister Henry Puna returned to government after extra votes counted". ABC. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Cook Islands by-election results on hold after court challenge". RNZ. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Cook Islands Court Confirms Mitiaro Seat Belongs To Demos". Pacific Islands Report. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  6. ^ "WARRANT DECLARING THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AND THE NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED BY EACH CANDIDATE" (PDF). Cook Islands Gazette. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.


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