ONE seat has been confirmed in the Cook Islands general election after Agnes Helen Armstrong secured the Ivirua seat unopposed.
This leaves 62 candidates to compete for the remaining 23 parliamentary seats on August 12.
Armstrong, who has served as a Democratic Party MP since 2019, chose to run as an independent in this election.
Chief electoral officer Taggy Tangimetua told Cook Islands News that Armstrong would be officially declared elected, meaning residents in Ivirua would not need to cast a ballot.
Speaking to Cook Islands newspaper, Armstrong, who entered politics after the death of her husband and former Ivirua MP in 2018, paid tribute to the people from her constituency for their decision.
“It is what the people of Ivirua have wanted – to be united, to come together as one people, and to maintain peace in the village. Instead of being divided, you know, politics divides people. That’s what our village wanted: to come together as one,” Armstrong said.
