Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 3 May 2003 to elect members of the Parliament of Nauru. The election took place with Nauru having economic difficulties and a large budget deficit. This was the main issue in the election, which followed a period where a number of presidents had been elected for short periods of time. However the election resulted in deadlock for several weeks afterwards, with parliament divided between three candidates for president. It was only at the end of May that Ludwig Scotty was elected as the new president of Nauru and was able to form a new government.

Background Under the constitution of Nauru the 18 members of parliament are elected at least every 3 years from 8 constituencies. Voters rank the candidates with the top 2 candidates being elected from 7 constituencies and 4 being elected from the 8th constituency. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of parliament from among themselves and can be removed by a majority vote in parliament.

Following the last election in 2000 Bernard Dowiyogo was elected president after the then president René Harris resigned. However Dowiyogo was defeated in a motion of non-confidence in April 2001 and Harris became president again. Harris served until 2003, but with the budget deficit increasing to almost half of Nauru's gross domestic product by 2002 and many government workers having not been paid in months, he was ousted after an extended deadlock in parliament in January 2003. Dowiyogo became president once more and served until his death in the United States in March 2003. Derog Gioura then became acting president until elections could be held in May.

Campaign Major issues in the election included corruption and the mismanagement of the finances of Nauru, combined with declining incomes from the mining of phosphate. This had led the Asian Development Bank to state that Nauru's economy was in big trouble, with many public sector workers receiving their first pay in months on the day before the election. Another issue in the election was the detention centres set up in Nauru for people seeking asylum in Australia.

During the campaign for the election in which just under 4,500 people were eligible voters, the education minister Anthony Audoa called on Australia and New Zealand to run the election, as he claimed that his country would be unable to conduct a free and fair election. However President Gioura said Audoa had no authority to make that call and said that Nauru did not need any help in running the election. Audoa had had responsibility for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust removed by President Gioura and the two men had fallen out as a result.

Results The results saw 6 new members of parliament elected, with the remaining 12 retaining their seats. 15 of those elected were not members of any party, while the Nauru First party had the other 3 members. Among the new members were 2 of the Nauru First party and the Commonwealth Games gold medallist Marcus Stephen. While 5 sitting members lost seats including the education minister Anthony Audoa; the president Derog Gioura and the former presidents Kinza Clodumar and Rene Harris were re-elected.

By constituency ConstituencyCandidateVotesNotesAiwo Godfrey Thoma 200.160 Elected René Harris 161.819 Elected Amos Randall Cook 146.710 Marlene Moses 114.755 David Libokimedo Agir 112.767 Preston Thoma 112.460 Alfie Aongo Moses 105.502 Invalid/blank votes10Total votes cast 368Anabar Ludwig Scotty 198.900 Elected Riddel Akua 194.517 Elected James Deireragea 190.650 Godfrey Atsine Waidabu 133.933 David Peter Gadaraoa 122.267 Invalid/blank votes7Total votes cast 375Anetan Marcus Stephen 215.278 Elected Remy Namaduk 189.377 Elected Vassal Gadoengin 145.460 Cyril Buraman 132.851 Paul Bronwick Ika 112.847 Landon Deireragea 112.574 Kelvin Hubert 105.990 Julie Olsson 96.560 Rimone Tom 93.792 Timothy Aingimea 81.858 Jacobus Tevaki Fritz 81.417 Invalid/blank votes14Total votes cast 467Boe Baron Waqa 179.606 Elected Kinza Clodumar 168.926 Mathew Batsiua 166.739 Tazio Gideon 153.448 Clinton Benjamin 124.843 Chanda Pasulia Deiranauw 120.185 Ross Melvin Cain 115.493 August Detonga Deiye 107.761 Sam Billiam 103.423 Isaaz Eobwaoin Aremwa 86.765 Ikelani Ruthven Capelle 85.658 Leslie Dogida Adam 79.799 Invalid/blank votes11Total votes cast 492Buada Vinson Detenamo 144.040 Elected Terangi Adam 128.461 Elected Thomas Deideren Star 119.215 Roland Kun 109.601 Nelson De-Burma Tamakin 103.261 Bomere Nicholas Depaune 88.463 Trevor Bernicke 78.870 Manfred Rabaima Depaune 73.342 Invalid/blank votes4Total votes cast 311Meneng Dogabe Abner Jeremiah 298.602 Elected Nimrod Botelanga 294.555 Elected Sprent Dabwido 262.346 Rykers Solomon 187.351 Simpson Arthur Simon 159.706 Paul Aingimea 159.625 John Pandit Nehru Bop 155.999 Sire-Dee Demaure 147.897 Ralph Steven 133.143 Invalid/blank votes19Total votes cast 655Ubenide David Adeang 255.723 Elected Russell Kun 207.386 Elected Fabian Ribauw 197.229 Elected Derog Gioura 191.600 Elected Valdon Dowiyogo 185.769 Jesaulenko Keto Dowiyogo 173.413 Robbie Robidok Detudamo 169.810 Ellington Dowabobo 162.222 Alf Diranga Itsimaera 157.914 Aloysius Amwano 149.588 Ekedu Rarube Angelica Itsimaera 141.184 Joseph Hiram 138.367 Renos Renige Ageage 133.271 Dempsey Keppa 119.146 Lui Eoaeo 115.419 Francis Amram 114.263 Cecilia Giouba 112.694 Gwaine Gavin Dekarube 110.057 Vincent Melvin Scotty 106.020 Invalid/blank votes43Total votes cast 829Yaren Pres Nimes Ekwona 114.451 Elected Kieren Keke 113.300 Elected Leo Keke 97.900 Robert Ingitebo Eoe 95.153 Anthony Audoa 83.492 Terence Debao 75.393 Douglas Dogura Audoa 73.061 John Daegan Akubor 69.624 Antonius Jimwereiy 54.152 Johnny Tamuea Agadio 53.343 Brian Amwano 48.960 Morde Moses Neneiya 48.887 Allan Debao 48.584 Invalid/blank votes20Total votes cast 327Source: Republic of Nauru Government Gazette, 5 May 2003

Presidential election

Following the election Parliament met to elect a new president but was unable to reach agreement. Godfrey Thoma was initially elected speaker but resigned the following day as the speaker initially did not get a vote in the presidential election. With parliament evenly split between supporters of former president Kinza Clodumar, Nauru First member David Adeang and Ludwig Scotty, nobody was then willing to be elected speaker. The deadlock continued for several weeks with calls for new elections to break the stalemate.

However towards the end of May the impasse was broken when 2 of the 3 factions reached agreement. As a result, Nauru First member Fabian Ribauw was elected speaker and in return Ludwig Scotty was able to get enough support to become president. On 29 May, Scotty was elected president on the second ballot by 10 votes to 7 for Kinza Clodumar.

References

External links Constituency results