Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 24 April 2010, following the dissolution of parliament by President Marcus Stephen on 16 March 2010. The election was called due to repeated attempts to oust the government of Marcus Stephen in votes of no-confidence. There were 86 candidates, eight of them women.
Background: the 'Getax affair' Australian officials have accused the Australian company Getax, which is an important buyer of Nauruan phosphate, of having precipitated the election by destabilising the Stephen government. Specifically, Getax had offered the Nauruan government a loan of A$25 million with a 15% interest rate, which, according to an investigative article in The Australian, "would be likely to have resulted in the country defaulting on its repayments, triggering contract provisions that would have let Getax take over the Nauru-owned phosphate industry". The Stephen government rejected the proffered loan. At the time, following the results of the 2008 election, the government had a parliamentary majority consisting in 12 MPs. Shortly thereafter, Getax organised and financed a trip to Singapore for the six opposition MPs and three of the government MPs. The latter three (including Aloysius Amwano) then joined the ranks of the opposition, causing a parliamentary stalemate, and thus the April election.
In October 2010, The Australian published an article, based on revelations by Australian officials and on documents published by the Nauruan authorities, revealing Getax's activities, as well as seemingly inexplicable spending levels by opposition MPs, well beyond the means afforded by their salaries. It also included a testimony alleging that members of the opposition had paid sums of money to potential voters. Questioned by The Australian, Baron Waqa, leader of the opposition, would neither confirm nor deny the claim that Getax had financed the opposition's campaign, but stated: "Getax has always helped Nauru. [...] Getax is disappointed with the way the country is running".
The Australian Federal Police launched an investigation into the accusations that Getax had bribed Nauruan officials (specifically, opposition and government non-Cabinet MPs) in the hopes that a new government would sign a deal with it on the selling of phosphate.
Electoral system Nauru uses a modified Borda count electoral system in eight multi-member districts.
Results On 26 April it was announced that provisional results indicated that every single one of the 18 members of parliament had been re-elected. This was confirmed on Monday 26 April.
By constituency ConstituencyCandidateVotesNotesAiwoGodfrey Thoma 284.433 Re-elected Dantes Tsitsi 282.983 Re-elected Milton Dube 256.583 Aaron Cook 255.783 Preston Jovani Thoma 226.283 Invalid/blank votes8Total votes cast580AnabarLudwig Scotty 268.525 Re-electedRiddell Akua 216.436 Re-electedTyrone Deiye191.210 Jeb Nobob Bop 119.785 Johnny Panser Olsson 119.561 Melissa Ika 119.275 Nicholas Yanaw Duburiya 114.627 David Peter Gadaraoa 111.126 David Aingimea 102.582 Vincent Scotty 92.352 Espen Jubal Fritz 87.003 Invalid/blank votes16Total votes cast541AnetanMarcus Stephen 355.436 Re-electedLandon Deireragea 277.474 Re-electedCyril Buraman 253.640 Remy Namaduk 199.674 Cheyenne Timothy Ika 193.581 Begg Adire 179.881 Creiden Fritz 176.407 Invalid/blank votes12Total votes cast643BoeBaron Waqa 245.466 Re-electedMathew Batsiua 244.570 Re-electedVollmer Mercury Appi 183.651 Abraham Aremwa 173.416 Joy Edith Heine 149.674 Kinza Clodumar 146.555 Bryan Tetanko Star 146.083 Dale Richard Cecil 110.142 Morgan El-Grico Solomon 108.311 Invalid/blank votes8Total votes cast541BuadaRoland Kun 255.531 Re-electedShadlog Bernicke 238.610 Re-electedVinson Detenamo 174.637 Alexander Stephen 154.076 Arrow Juliante Depaune 144.806 Terangi Adam 142.565 Sean Halstead 129.568 Elchen Anabella Solomon 119.136 Invalid/blank votes6Total votes cast506MenengRykers Solomon 312.714 Re-electedSprent Dabwido 283.346 Re-electedLyn-Wannan Kam 221.761 Doneke Jim Benedict Kepae 211.810 Elvin Squire Brechtefeld 207.078 David Russell Daoe 168.234 Alvin Harris 166.914 James Degangan Bop 155.870 Rick Daoe 147.344 Davey Roxen Debagabene Agadio 144.354 Darlyne Faith Harris 143.638 Simpson Simon 134.687 Linko Jereco Jeremiah 131.396 Dogabe Abner Jeremiah 130.296 Jesiel De Gauli Jeremiah 121.688 Invalid/blank votes48Total votes cast856UbenideDavid Adeang 355.162 Re-electedFreddie Pitcher 313.199 Re-electedValdon Dowiyogo 304.881 Re-electedAloysius Amwano 257.967 Re-electedJulian Itsimaera 212.316 Ranin Akua 196.876 Maria Gaiyabu 189.385 Greta Diva Harris 189.069 George Giovanni Gioura 177.318 Vyko Pentax Adeang 171.666 Fabian Ribauw 165.503 Chet Hardy Tatum 157.865 Bernadette Eimiriken Aliklik 143.988 Renos Renige Agege 132.126 Anthony Roteb Garabwan 129.091 Joseph Hiram 118.893 Ransom Fidelis Olsson 117.408 Skipper Diovanni Hiram 113.075 Knox Tulensru Tulenoa 111.805 Cameron Valentino Tatum 103.441 Walton Deigirimout Doguape 102.311 Darnard Dongobir 100.935 Invalid/blank votes79Total votes cast1,126YarenDominic Tabuna 208.267 Re-electedKieren Keke 203.009 Re-electedCharmaine Scotty 185.754 Pres Nimes Ekwona 110.948 Andrew James Kaierua 96.352 Brian Amwano 85.693 John Daigon Julius 84.542 Moses Alexius Neneiya 82.236 Johnny Taumea Agadio 77.618 Invalid/blank votes8Total votes cast409Source: Republic of Nauru Government Gazette, 24 April 2010
Aftermath Parliament met for a first session on Tuesday 27 April, to elect a speaker. However, all four nominated candidates were rejected. Parliament is now to resume on Thursday, with the Marcus Stephen administration continuing in a caretaker capacity.
In its third sitting on 4 May 2010, the speaker election failed yet again. After a fourth failed attempt, the opposition floated the possibility of holding another election. Following the fifth failed attempt, Stephen proposed reforms before early elections, such as electing the speaker from outside parliament to break the deadlock.
In a sixth attempt on 13 May 2010, Godfrey Thoma was finally elected speaker. He immediately proposed to dissolve parliament again. As the government refused to do this, he resigned on 18 May 2010; it seemed possible that the two camps might form a coalition government to break the deadlock.
Progress was finally made when the government's nominee for speaker, Dominic Tabuna, was finally elected on 1 June 2010 in two rounds of balloting. Indirect presidential elections were then set for 3 June 2010. They were then postponed to 4 June 2010, and when they failed again on that date, Tabuna resigned.
Following seven weeks of deadlock, parliament was dissolved on 11 June 2010 and an early election called for 19 June 2010.
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