# Cook Islands First Party
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2017}}
The '''Cook Islands First Party''' (originally known as the '''Demo Tumu Party''', translatable as "Original/True Democratic Party") was a [political party](/source/political_party) in the [Cook Islands](/source/Cook_Islands). The party was originally a faction within the [Cook Islands Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(Cook_Islands)) which supported [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_Cook_Islands) [Robert Woonton](/source/Robert_Woonton) over [Terepai Maoate](/source/Terepai_Maoate). The [2004 elections](/source/2004_Cook_Islands_general_election) saw the Democrats win a clear majority, but it was not clear whether Woonton would have the numbers within the party to remain Prime Minister. Woonton's announcement on 15 November 2004 that he was forming a coalition with the rival [Cook Islands Party](/source/Cook_Islands_Party) with himself as Prime Minister.[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13211 |title=Woonton announces new Cook Islands government |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2004-11-15 |accessdate=2009-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516055914/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13211 |archive-date=16 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}] This touched off a bitter struggle within the Democrats, which ultimately saw Woonton and his Health Minister [Peri Vaevae Pare](/source/Peri_Vaevae_Pare) expelled from the party. Woonton responded by launching his own party, the Demo Tumu Party, on 1 December 2004.[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13516 |title=Cook Islands prime minister forms new party |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2004-12-01 |accessdate=2009-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516055928/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13516 |archive-date=16 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}]
Initially the party consisted of 4 MPs: Woonton, Pare, then-education minister [Jim Marurai](/source/Jim_Marurai) and Democratic backbenchers [Teenui Mapumai](/source/Teenui_Mapumai) and [Poko Simpson](/source/Poko_Simpson).[{{cite journal |last=Jonassen |first=Jon Tikivanotau M |title=Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events: Cook Islands |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=18 |year=2006 |pages=128–133 |doi=10.1353/cp.2005.0087}}] The party maintained its coalition agreement with the Cook Islands Party and the support of independent MP [Piho Rua](/source/Piho_Rua), and Woonton remained Prime Minister. Woonton subsequently resigned his seat in order to fight a [by-election](/source/2005_Manihiki_by-election),[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13735 |title=Cooks to vote for new Prime Minister after election draw leads to by-election |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2004-12-12 |accessdate=2009-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524011855/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13735 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}] causing his government to be dissolved. The coalition held,[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13786 |title=Cook Islands Party believes existing coalition deal will hold |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2004-12-14 |accessdate=2009-04-12}}] with Woonton's deputy [Jim Marurai](/source/Jim_Marurai) replacing him as Prime Minister as part of a deal which would see CIP leader [Geoffrey Henry](/source/Geoffrey_Henry) replace him after two years.[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13820 |title=Jim Marurai is new Cook Islands prime minister |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2004-12-15 |accessdate=2009-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524011915/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=13820 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}]
The coalition deal was dissolved in September 2005, and the party, now calling itself "Cook Islands First," formed a new coalition with the Democrats.[{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=19230 |title=Cook Islands PM sacks two more ministers |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=2005-09-12 |accessdate=2009-04-12}}] The parties re-united shortly before the [2006 election](/source/2006_Cook_Islands_general_election), and the party is now defunct.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Cook Islands political parties}}
Category:Political parties established in 2004
Category:Defunct political parties in the Cook Islands
*Main
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cook Islands First Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands_First_Party) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands_First_Party?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.