Cook Islands PM behind in preliminary election results

4.45pm - By ANGELA GREGORY

Special votes in favour of the Cook Islands Prime Minister Dr Robert Woonton are needed if he is to keep his job.

Preliminary election results show Dr Woonton, leader of the Democratic Party, is 15 votes behind Henry Puna of the rival Cook Islands party in the Manihiki constituency.

The secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Terry Hagan, told the New Zealand Herald today the final count had still not begun.

"We are hoping we will be getting them done in the morning."

Mr Hagan said the preliminary results showed the Democratic Party held 12 seats, the Cook Islands Party 11 seats and in one seat the votes were tied.

He said in 10 seats the margin was less than 20 votes and anything could happen.

Norm George, who started a new party before the election, was in a tight three-way race in the Tengatangi-Areora-Ngatiarua seat.


Dr Woonton was first elected to Parliament in 1994 as an opposition MP.

He became Prime Minister in February 2002.