Cook Islands Prime Minister has suggested considering a return to the original flag, designed by the nation’s first premier, for stronger reflection of national colours and sovereignty.

Prime Minister Mark Brown says changing the national flag to the original design by the late and first Cook Islands Premier Albert Royle Henry (Papa Arapati) could be something Cook Islanders should consider.

This design, featuring a green background with 15 gold stars in a circle, would more reflect the nation’s colours and independence, Brown believes.

In his ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister spoke about the recent pardon of the late Papa Arapati.

He indicated a photo of the late premier, noting that when the Cook Islands became independent, Papa Arapati had designed a flag for the nation – a green flag with gold stars.

“That was the original flag and it represented our national colours. So what I said to my speech was maybe we would want to consider having a return to our original flag to more reflect our national colours and our sovereignty,” Brown told Cook Islands News during Parliament break yesterday.

In his speech, Brown explained that Papa Arapati’s pardon was a decision by the King’s Representative, Sir Tom Marsters, to exercise the Prerogative of Mercy.

He said the announcement coincided with the opening of the 52^nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga to highlight Papa Arapati’s crucial role in establishing the first forum meeting over 50 years ago, and Cook Islands’ position as a founding member.

“This pardon for Papa Arapati has been a long time coming, far too long in my very humble opinion,” Brown said. “And a sentiment shared by our members of parliament both past and present and the people of the Cook Islands.

Brown emphasised that Papa Arapati’s character and leadership built what the Cook Islands is today. As the founder and first leader of the Cook Islands Party, when Cook Islands achieved self-governance in 1965, he became the nation’s first premier.

“He (Papa Arapati) designed a new national flag which consisted of 15 gold stars in a circle on a green background. A flag that represents our national colours and reflects our identity as the Cook Islands and something maybe for us to reconsider as a country.”

Papa Arapati was unseated in the 1978 election after an electoral petition had found he had committed electoral fraud which also led to him losing his knighthood.

On 16 August 1979, he pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy and one charge of corruption relating to the use of $337,000 of Cook Islands Government money to fly hundreds of supporters from New Zealand to the Cook Islands in order to vote.

He was fined the maximum of $1400, ordered to pay $2000 in court costs. A further sentence of three years’ probation, “imposed solely to bar him from running for political office or participating in political life for that period”, was overturned on appeal.

Brown said: “Papa Arapati’s offences, to which he pleaded guilty with on the advice of legal counsel, were serious. But the fact was, he pleaded guilty. He accepted personal responsibility and assumed full accountability for his actions. An action taken by a man of honour and one he never spoke about again in public.”

In August this year, the Executive Council approved the decision for the KR to pardon Papa Arapati, following the recommendation of the Chair of the Parole Board, Chief Justice Patrick Keane, in accordance with the Criminal Records Act 1991.

Brown said the Board received the application by Papa Arapati’s grandson Howard Henry for the “posthumous pardon”.

In order that Papa Arapati be pardoned by the King’s Representative for his 1978 offences, the Prime Minister said the Board had to be satisfied, after inquiry that “those convictions should no longer reflect adversely on his character”.