LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Cook Islands: Cook Islands Party
built 267 days ago
The Cook Islands is a self-governing state. The Cook Islands has a parliament of 25 members popularly elected for five years. The government is based on the Westminster system with a Prime Minister chosen by the majority party in Parliament. The Prime Minister in turn appoints a cabinet of six ministers. The House of Ariki - the hereditary chiefs - representing all the islands, plays a consultative role in traditional matters such as custom and land tenure.
Source:
![[Queen's Representative (Cook Islands, New Zealand)]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/c/o/o/cook-islands/i/004.gif)
The Cook Islands have had many flags, the latest having been adopted on 4 August 1979. It continues to use the ring of fifteen stars (one for each island) used on the previous flag, which was otherwise plain green. The change was made when the Cook Islands Party lost power to the Democratic Party, whose colours are blue and white.
Source:
The Cook Islands became a British protectorate at their own request in 1888, mainly to thwart French expansionism. They were transferred to New Zealand in 1901. They remained a New Zealand protectorate until 1965, at which point they became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. In that year, Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party was elected as the first Prime Minister. Sir Albert Henry led the country until he was accused of vote-rigging. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.
Source:
Since Cook Islands became self-governing, power has alternated between the Cook Islands Party (CIP) and the Democratic Party, later becoming the Democratic Alliance Party. The CIP was in power from 1989, and, after the by-election in July 1996, had 19 out of 25 seats, the DP having suffered a split and subsequent fragmentation.
Source:
Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party (CIP), a major figure in the independence movement, was elected prime minister in 1968. He was knighted in 1974, but the honor was revoked in 1980 because of claims of corruption. When Henry died in 1981, Dr. Thomas Davis of the Democratic Party became prime minister. Several years of relative political instability followed; power changed hands a few times between 1983 and 1989, when Geoffrey Henry, Henry's nephew, became prime minister. His government did not have widespread popular support, but Geoffrey Henry was knighted in 1992, and the CIP won by a large majority in the 1994 elections.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Cook Islands Party