Neu: 2002-02-21 Contents of this issue:
1. Election Guessing ======================================================================== February 21st, 2002 1. Election Guessing: Niue's general election is likely to be held on April 19 or 20. All previous elections held since 1974 have been conducted in March. Unless an official date is announced by the Premier Sani Lakatani at the March 7 meeting of the Legislative Assembly it will be left to the Speaker of the House Tama Posimani to dissolve the Assembly on March 19 and an election will then be held not less than 4 weeks and no more than 6 weeks from that date. Although there has been no official date announced to dissolve the Legislative Assembly sources within government told Pasifika Times the mid-April date seems to have been agreed upon. There has been no sign of electioneering but Niue voters are well versed with last minute political hustling. The Legislative Assembly meets March 7 to repeal the offshore banking act in a bid to remove the island's name from the OECD Financial Action Task Force money laundering and tax evasion blacklist. The Premier Sani Lakatani has stated if the $2 million a year revenue-making international business companies registry also has to be closed down he will consider that move in a bid to get access to more regional and international aid. Several past and present public servants are reported to be considering throwing their hat in the ring for nomination. Former Premier Frank Lui says he won't be seeking a seat in the Assembly although he's been approached by a number of supporters to stand. Mr Lui was defeated in his home village seat of Alofi North in 1999 after 35 years in politics and nowadays plays an active role in his family video rental business. The ruling Niue Peoples Party and the Alliance of Independents are reported to be mediating internal disputes which revolve around leadership issues and neither group had by last week released its manifesto. About 900 electors will go to the polls - about half are public servants and their support will be crucial if the NPP or the Alliance is to gain a clear majority in the Assembly. Both groups contend they will go head-to-head in village constituencies and In the six common roll vacancies. It's on the cards some long standing MP's will face strong challenges in what has been considered safe village seats. Despite previous claims by the Premier that the NPP will win 14 seats the present situation indicates the party will need to mend some bridges with the electorate, report political observers on Niue. Whether Opposition top pollers Mrs O'Love Jacobsen and Terry Coe can repeat past election support and Sani Lakatani can wrest back some of the following he's reported to have lost in the NPP camp will be crucial factors in the run-up and result in the 2002 election __END__
