Jim Marurai

Jim Marurai (born 9 July 1947) is a Cook Islands politician and former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Jim Marurai
8th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
In office
14 December 2004 – 29 November 2010
MonarchElizabeth II
RepresentativeFrederick Tutu Goodwin
Preceded byRobert Woonton
Succeeded byHenry Puna
Personal details
Born9 July 1947
Mangaia
Political partyDemocratic Party
Spouse(s)Tuaine Marurai (deceased)
ChildrenJason Marurai

Personal life

Marurai was born in Mangaia.[1] He attended Ivirua and Oneroa Primary school and then Tereora College on Rarotonga and Napier Boys' High School in New Zealand. He later studied at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.[1]

Marurai's wife, Tuaine Marurai, died on 14 September 2005 in Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 56 after suffering from cancer. She was buried on her home island of Mangaia.[2]

Political career

Marurai was first elected to Parliament in a by-election in 1994.[1] He served as an opposition backbencher until June 1999, when he was appointed to the coalition Cabinets of Geoffrey Henry and Joe Williams.[1] Following the election of a Democratic Party 1999 election he served in the Cabinet of Terepai Maoate.[1] Following Maoate's ousting in February 2002 he continued to serve as a Minister under Robert Woonton.[3]

Prime Minister

Marurai was elected Prime Minister in December 2004 after Woonton resigned in the wake of the 2004 election.[4] Due to internal disputes, he left the Democrats in 2005 to form the Cook Islands First Party, governing in coalition with the Cook Islands Party. This agreement later broke down, and he formed a new coalition with the Democrats. He returned to the Democrats before the 2006 elections, remaining Prime Minister but not becoming party leader.

In May 2006, Marurai had a private audience and courtesy call with Emperor Akihito of Japan at the Tokyo Imperial Palace.[5] Marurai visit was part of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 2006), which was held in Okinawa on 26–27 May 2006.[5]

On 23 December 2009, Marurai sacked his Deputy Prime Minister, Terepai Maoate, sparking a mass-resignation of Democratic Party cabinet members[6][7] He was subsequently expelled from the Democratic Party.[8]

In January 2010, facing the prospect of a vote of no confidence supported by a majority of Members of Parliament, Marurai announced that he would not be "calling parliament for at least several months". He said that no parliamentary sitting was needed until it became necessary to vote the budget, the deadline for which was 1 July. Both major political parties – the Democratic Party and the Cook Islands Party – jointly asked the Queen's Representative to recall Parliament, but the latter is constitutionally prevented from acting except on the advice of the Prime Minister.[9]

Marurai was readmitted to the Democratic party at a party conference in June 2010.[10] He subsequently announced that he would not continue as Prime Minister if the Democratic Party won the 2010 election.[11] Marurai was re-elected to his Ivirua seat in the 2010 elections, but his party was ousted.[12] He resigned as Prime Minister on 29 November 2010,[13] but continued to serve as a backbench MP.

Despite saying that the 2010 term would be his last, Marurai stood again for Ivirua in the 2014 election and was elected unopposed.[14] He resigned for health reasons in 2017.[15] The subsequent 2017 Ivirua by-election was won by Tony Armstrong.[16]

References
  1. "Hon. Jim MARURAI". Parliament of the Cook Islands. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  2. "Mrs Marurai to be laid to rest in Mangaia". Cook Islands Government Online. 13 September 2005. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  3. Robert Lee (14 February 2002). "Terepai Maoate Ousted As Cook Islands PM". TaxNews.com. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
  4. "Jim Marurai is new Cook Islands prime minister". Radio New Zealand International. 15 December 2004. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  5. "COOK ISLANDS: Prime Minister To Meet Emperor of Japan". Cook Islands Herald. Pacific Magazine. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  6. "Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout". Radio New Zealand International. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  7. "Cabinet Ministers Resign in Support of Party Leader". Democratic Party – Cook Islands. 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
  8. "PM sacked by Demo Party". Cook Islands Herald. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  9. "Fearing ouster, Cooks PM won't recall parliament for months". Radio New Zealand International. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  10. "New leadership for Cook Islands Democratic Party". Radio New Zealand International. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  11. "PM confirms his passing of the baton after the election". Cook Islands herald. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  12. "Preliminary results show Democrats ousted in Cook Islands election". Radio New Zealand International. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  13. "Marurai stands down". Cook Islands News. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  14. Emmanuel Samoglou (10 July 2014). "Marurai waltzes into office". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  15. "Former Cook Islands PM Jim Marurai To Resign From Parliament". Pacific Islands Report. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  16. "Ivirua by-election has predictable result". Cook Islands News. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
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