Elections in Kiribati

The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is Kiribati's one-chamber Parliament. The current operational structure has 44 directly elected seats across 23 electoral districts and one nominated Banaban seat, giving the House 45 members. The Constitution and current electoral arrangements describe the composition differently in some provisions, so the operative rules and official election notices determine the arrangement for a particular election. The Electoral Commission administers elections. It consists of the Chief Electoral Commissioner and two to four other commissioners appointed by the Beretitenti on Cabinet advice. The Commission is independent, and a Chief Electoral Officer and district Electoral Officers manage the practical conduct of elections. The Chief Justice supervises the presidential election. Kiribati citizens may vote from age 18 if they live in the electoral district and appear on the register. Registration is normally automatic through birth and population records. A voter must generally have lived in the relevant ward for at least one month and may be registered in only one ward. A transfer requires the prescribed form and fee, and another transfer is not allowed within six months. Continuous absence from the district for 12 months can lead to removal from the register. A person serving a prison sentence of at least 12 months, found by a court to be of unsound mind, or disqualified for an election-related reason may not vote. Candidates for Parliament must be citizens aged at least 21. Each candidate needs three registered electors as nominators and may stand in only one electoral district. The nomination requires the candidate's full name, address, description and qualification certification. Disqualifications can include foreign allegiance, certain imprisonment or death-sentence circumstances, election-related office, specified public offices, conviction for a felony carrying at least five years' imprisonment, fraud or a sexual offence within the previous seven years, full-time paid employment in one of the three branches of government, or membership of a local council. The consulted sources do not specify a nomination fee. After an election notice, nominations must remain open for at least seven days before polling takes place at least 28 days later. The candidate list is published within 48 hours after nominations close. A candidate can withdraw until 4 p.m. on the day before polling. If the number of candidates is equal to or lower than the number of seats, the candidates can be declared elected without a contested poll. Parliament normally lasts four years from its first sitting. A general election must take place within three months after dissolution, and a by-election must take place within three months after a seat becomes vacant. In a parliamentary district, a voter may vote for no more candidates than the number of available seats and may cast no more than one vote for each candidate. A candidate is elected in the first round when the candidate receives more than half of the counted ballot papers. Remaining seats can be decided in a second round under the Electoral Regulations among the leading candidates. Voting is secret and follows the official polling procedure. In 2024, the first round took place on 14 August and the second round on 19 August. The official first-round table recorded 52,978 registered voters and 28,431 votes cast, or about 53.7 percent turnout. Kiribati candidates appeared on the 2024 ballot without formal party affiliation. Political parties can still organize and influence politics outside the ballot format, especially after parliamentary seats are decided. Campaign conduct is restricted: bribery, treating, false statements and manipulation of ballots or ballot boxes can lead to criminal penalties or an invalid election. Customary gifts such as mweaka, moanei or ririwete of up to $20 are not treated as bribery solely because they follow Kiribati custom. Candidate or party symbols are prohibited inside polling buildings and within 50 metres of an entrance, and public support speeches are prohibited within 200 metres. After counting, the Electoral Officer declares the result. The High Court decides election validity and membership disputes. An election petition must generally be filed within one month after publication of the result, and the court should decide it within three months where practicable. Corrupt practices can make an election void. A district recall can begin when a petition to the Speaker has the support of a majority of electors registered at the last election. The Electoral Commission then holds a referendum; a majority of entitled voters is required to remove the member. A recalled seat becomes vacant and must be filled within three months. Recall action is restricted during the first six months after the election or after an unsuccessful referendum. For the presidential election, the Maneaba nominates three or four candidates from among its own members after electing the Speaker. The general-election electorate then votes directly, under the supervision of the Chief Justice and with conduct managed by the Electoral Commission. The successful candidate becomes both head of state and head of government after the declaration and may hold the office for no more than three terms. The Cabinet is formed from members of Parliament. A vote of no confidence supported by a majority of all Maneaba members leads to dissolution. In 2024, the parliamentary election was held on 14 and 19 August, the first sitting took place on 13 September, and Parliament nominated four presidential candidates. The presidential election followed on 25 October, when Taneti Maamau was re-elected for a third term. Five women were elected to Parliament. The regular parliamentary cycle is calculated from the first sitting on 13 September 2024, subject to the constitutional and dissolution rules.