Kiribati election

results

Former President lere mia Tabai has been re elected as president of Kiribati, winning with a total of 10,800 votes while his nearest rival, Mr Teburoro Tito polled 9,197 votes. Only one other contestant stood for the elections, Mr Teatao Teannaki, who collected 1550 votes and who said he joined the race only to justify the Constitution of Kiribati.

The voting appeared both political and religious. Kiribati is divided into a north and south grouping, and similarly a Pro testant and Catholic grouping. leremia Tabai led the votes in the southern area, winning on eight islands, while he won votes from only two of the northern group of islands. Mr Tabai comes from Nonouti in the south, and is a Protestant, the southern islands being dominated by Protestants.

Teburoro Tito also comes from the southern section, from Tabiteuea island, but he stood for Urban Tarawa in the north.

The northern islands are pre dominantly Catholic, and Mr Tito is also Catholic. It was argued that had the third candi date Mr Teannaki, not stood, Mr Tito may have got the majority of his votes as both are Catholics.

Both Mr Tito and Mr Tabai concentrated their campaigning

been involved in the election. It was reported to have involved its executive committee on South Tarawa in the launching of a pro Catholic campaign.

Sources also said that the com mittee went even further by naming the ‘suitable candi dates’ to be elected. Many candidates objected to the in terference of the Catholic Church. From Batiri T.

Bataua in Kiribati.

in the respective areas where they won their votes, and it was said that if either had put more time and effort into the other area, more votes would have been won for each respectively.

Prior to the election, Mr Tito did not visit the southern group of islands, and Mr Tabai’s election campaign did not concentrate much in the northern group.

In particular the Catholic Church was reported to have

President Leremia Tabai.