Kiribati

House of Assembly

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
IPU membership
No

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
14 Aug 2024 to 19 Aug 2024
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
22 May 2024
Timing of election
Upon normal expiry

Notes: A general election is required to be held within three months of the dissolution of the House of Assembly. Dissolution took place on 22 May 2024 upon completion of the four-year term of the outgoing legislature elected in April 2020. The 2024 elections are thus considered to have been held upon normal expiry.

Expected date of next elections
31 Aug 2028
Number of seats at stake
44
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Results

About the election

President Taneti Maamau’s Tobwaan Kiribati Party (TKP) won the majority, winning 33 of the 44 seats at stake in the 45-member House of Assembly (see note 1). Boutokaan Kiribati Moa (BKM), led by the opposition leader Ms. Tessie Lambourne, won eight seats. A record five women were elected (up from four in 2020), including the outgoing Speaker Tangarik Reete and the BKM leader, Ms. Lambourne.

On 13 September, the newly elected House of Assembly elected Mr. Willie Tokataake as its new Speaker (see note 2). The House of Assembly endorsed four candidates for the presidential elections, all from the ruling TKP. Ms. Lambourne (BKM), who lost her presidential bid, deplored the fact that Kiribati was becoming a one-party State. On 25 October, incumbent President Maamau (TKP) won a third term.

The key electoral issues in 2024 included rising living costs and the country’s relationship with China, which President Maamau established in 2019 after severing ties with Taiwan. The government ran on its record, citing the introduction of universal unemployment benefits and increased subsidies for copra (dried coconut flesh).

Note 1:
One member is appointed by the Banaban community, the vast majority of whom live on the island of Rabi in Fiji.

Note 2:
The Speaker is elected from among persons who are not members of parliament, and does not become a member.

Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
39
Number of women elected
5
Percentage of women elected
11.4%
Women Directly Elected
5
Sources

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
40
Total number of women after the election
5
Percentage of women after the election
11.1%
First-term parliamentarians
No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
No information available
Date of the first session
13 Sep 2024

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Willie Tokataake (Male)
Date of birth: 25 May 1956
Date of election
13 Sep 2024

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No