Kiribati to hold second round of voting for new parliament

After the first round on Wednesday, 18 seats were declared where leading candidates won more than half of the vote, electoral commissioner Rine Ueara said.

Another 26 seats will face a second round of voting on Thursday to decide the makeup of the parliament for the tiny nation of 108,000 people and 33 widely spread islands.

President Anote Tong cleared the first hurdle to retaining his leadership by regaining his legislative seat in the first round of voting.

The first meeting of the new parliament will name candidates from within their own ranks for a presidential election, which is likely to be held in October, Ueara said.

Tong narrowly beat his brother Harry for the presidency in the last election in 2003. Harry Tong faces a second round election in his bid to retain his legislative seat.

President Tong switched diplomatic recognition from China to Taiwan following the 2003 election.

Kiribati is one of six Pacific nations — and only 24 worldwide — which recognise Taipei rather than Beijing.

Accusations have been made against both China and Taiwan in the past of using “chequebook diplomacy” to hand out cash to favoured politicians and win allies.

China was forced to close a controversial satellite tracking station in Kiribati after the island nation, which straddles the Equator between Australia and Hawaii, switched allegiance in 2003.

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