Tuakeu Tangatapoto

Tuakeu Tangatapoto
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Mitiaro
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 June 2018
Preceded by	Tangata Vavia
Personal details
Born	4 February 1970
Political party	Cook 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. "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.