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- Government
-
- Long-form name: none.
-
- Type: self-governing in free association with New Zealand;
- Cook Islands fully responsible for internal affairs; New
- Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in
- consultation with the Cook Islands.
-
- Capital: Avarua.
-
- Administrative divisions: none.
-
- Independence: became self-governing in free association
- with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any
- time to move to full independence by unilateral action.
-
- Constitution: 4 August 1965.
-
- National holiday: NA.
-
- Executive branch: British monarch, representative of the
- UK, representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy
- prime minister, Cabinet.
-
- Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the unicameral
- House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters,
- but has no legislative powers.
-
- Judicial branch: High Court.
-
- Leaders:
-
- Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
- representative of the UK Sir Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA);
- representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since NA);
-
- Head of Government--Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since
- NA February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU
- (since NA).
-
- Political parties and leaders: Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey
- Henry; Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent Ingram; Democratic
- Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke Robati; Cook Islands Labor Party,
- Rena Jonasen; Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka Sadaraka.
-
- Suffrage: universal adult at age NA.
-
- Elections: Parliament--last held 19 January 1989 (next to
- be held by January 1994); results--percent of vote by party
- NA; seats--(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic
- Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic
- Party) 9, independent 1.
-
- Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), IDA, IFC, IMF,
- SPEC, SPF.
-
- Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free
- association with New Zealand).
-
- Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
- quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars
- (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag.
-