Description of Electoral System:

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term. In the House of Assembly (Maneaba ni Maungatabu), 1 members are reserved ex officio to serve 4-year terms, 1 members are nominated from the Banaba Island to serve 4-year terms and 39 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Electoral Systems Snapshot

(Courtesy of International IDEA)

*Click on links for definitions

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Politics of Kiribati

(courtesy of wikipedia)

Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Kiribati is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The constitution promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979, establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens.

Recent Elections

(courtesy of wikipedia)

A parliamentary election took place in Kiribati on 22 August 2007 and 30 August 2007, within 23 constituencies (electoral districts) to elect 44 MPs (43.000 citizens vote). Two other MPs are ex officio members (not elected).

There were 146 candidates in the first round, including all 44 sitting MPs, among them President Anote Tong. Most of them represent Pillars of Truth or Protect the Maneaba.

Eighteen seats were decided in the first round (including that of Tong, who was overwhelmingly re-elected). Tong's Pillars of Truth and allies independents got twelve of the eighteen seats. For the twenty-six seats where no candidate received a majority, a second round was held on August 30.

A presidential election took place in Kiribati on 17 October 2007. President Anote Tong, who was re-elected to parliament in the first round of the parliamentary election, won the presidential elections. For a summary of the election results, click here.