Niue result on a knife edge

The people of Niue will have to wait for an electoral recount before they find out who their leader will be for the next three years.

The latest national election was held on Sunday, but one seat in the National Assembly remains in doubt.

Toke Talagi has been the premier of Niue since 2008, gaining the support of a majority of the 20-member Assembly in the past two elections.

But since proposing building a camp for asylum seekers on the 260 square kilometre island nation last year, he has faced local criticism.

Talagi says he’s confident he will regain the leadership despite weekend elections indicating that his support has slipped.

“I’m pretty confident that at the moment we’ve got 11 seats, and the others have got eight – with one still uncertain,” he said. A recount of the seat still in doubt will be held this week.

The chair of the Chamber of Commerce in Niue, Avi Rubin, says he expects the country to continue to move in a positive direction after the weekend election.

Rubin says either of the top two pollers, Toke Talagi and Stanley Kalauni, would be good for business.

"I’m quite happy because both top-running candidates have backgrounds in the private sector, so for the private sector they will both be good, I’m quite sure.

“They understand business and they are both successful, so regardless of who will take the leadership I believe that Niue will continue and the direction is good.”

Rubin says it’s difficult to predict who will eventually lead the country, as support appears to be split down the middle, and the winner of Toi village may hold the balance of power.

A Niue MP says he expects Talagi to have the numbers to rule as premier, despite failing to poll the highest on the common roll.

Fisa Pihigia, who won his Tupapa village seat, says he remains a supporter of Toke Talagi, and still expects to see him get the numbers to govern.

“Because Stanley Kalauni has topped the common roll doesn’t mean that he’s going to lead the new government.

“It’s up to the members of the assembly, and looking at the members, Toke has the numbers, maybe just one or two, with one undecided, that’s the seat for Toi, because of the equal votes up there.”

Pihigia says even if the Toi seat goes to the opposition, he thinks Talagi will still manage to have a majority of supporters in the legislative assembly.