2007 Marshallese general election

General elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 19 November 2007.^[1]

One of the election issues was whether to switch recognition from Taiwan to the China, with the opposition in favour of recognising China instead.^[2] However, Aelon Kein Ad stated on 28 November that they would not end ties with the ROC if they won the election.^[3]

Due to delays in opening the polling stations (while they were meant to open at 7 AM, some did not open until midday and one did not open before 4 PM) polling continued until after midnight.^[4] While only 36,000 people were eligible to vote, the large number of postal ballots meant that results were not to be known before 4 December.^[5]

Early results with 40% of the vote counted indicated a number of government party members could lose their seats, meaning it was possible that the opposition has won the election.^[1] On 30 November, the opposition Aelon̄ Kein Ad declared victory, claiming it had already won 15 of the 17 seats necessary for a majority and that it expected to gain about 20 to 22 seats.^[5]

The final vote count began on 4 December 2007.^[6] The opposition officially voiced their protest when the election website had not been updated by 8 December since the preliminary results were published on 27 November, questioning the legality of the recounting of votes from the outer islands,^[7] allegedly an attempt to change the results in four very close seats.^[8] The opposition party also claimed to have the necessary 17 senators to govern.^[9]

Final, unofficial results were released on 10 December; the candidates then had two weeks to file recount petitions and court challenges.^[10] As both the ruling United Democratic Party and the opposition Aelon Kein Ad claim to have the 17 MPs required to form a government, and since two seats were decided by a single vote and two others by five votes, many recount petitions are expected to be filed.^[11]

Figures from 12 December indicated that President Kassai Note's United Democratic Party had 14 seats while the opposition United People's Party (which forms part of the Aelon Kein Ad coalition), led by former speaker Litokwa Tomeing, had 15 seats. Aelon̄ Kein Ad continued to claim they had the 17 seats necessary to govern, and the election was considered likely be decided by the courts.^[12]

Both parties attempted to get independent MPs to join them, with both sides about two or three seats short of a majority.^[13][14]

Recounts for Maloelap and Likiep were ordered for 3 January 2008, and voters from the US have appealed for their votes to be counted as well despite some problems with the required post stamp.^[15]

The newly elected Nitijela elected the president on 7 January 2008 after formally convening.^[16] Litokwa Tomeing was elected by 18 votes to 15 for incumbent president Kessai Note. A new Speaker from the opposition, Senator Jurelang Zedkaia, was also elected, defeating Senator Alvin Jacklick in another 18–15 vote. Senator Alik Alik from the United Democratic Party (the former government party) was elected as Vice-Speaker with 17 votes against 16 for Kaibuke Kabua.^[17]

Tomeing had defected from the United Democratic Party to the opposition United People's Party before the election.

According to the results of the presidential and speaker elections, the opposition (consisting of Aelon̄ Kein Ad and the UPP) seemed to have either 18 or 17 seats, as opposed to the former government's 15 or 16 seats.^[18]

On 21 October 2009 Tomeing was ousted from the presidency in the nation's first successful vote of no confidence. He was temporarily replaced by Ruben Zackhras as acting president until the Nitijela elected a new president on 26 October. Only two candidates were nominated; Zedkaia and former president Kessai Note,^[19] who had led the no confidence measure against Tomeing. Tomeing and Kessai had engaged in a power struggle since Kessai had lost his re-election bid in the 2007 elections.^[20] Under the terms of the Marshallese constitution, the Nitijela had fourteen days to elect a new president.^[21]

Speaker Jurelang Zedkaia was elected with 17 votes to Note's 15.^[19] The results gave Zedkaia the one vote-minimum needed to defeat Kessai and win the presidency.^[19] Senators did not vote along party lines during the election, with several crossing the aisle to vote for the presidential candidates in opposing parties.^[19] Nitijela Senator Brenson Wase was quoted as describing the shifting political affiliations of the electors as being as mixed up "as a fruit salad."^[20]

Observers noted that Zedkaia is an Iroij, or traditional chief, like his predecessor, Litokwe Tomeing. Zedkaia's status as Iroij may have been key to his narrow one-vote victory in the election.^[22]

Zedkaia was sworn into office on November 2, 2009.