Henry Ineligible?

There is a snag. Under a 1958 regulation passed by the Islands' Assembly a person absent from the Islands for more than 3 years loses his right to vote or stand for election. This provision has been incorporated in the draft Constitution, to be presented to the electors in April. Thus in the present situation Albert Henry will be ineligible in the forthcoming elections—but he emphasised that he did not regard this as a serious obstacle.

As leader of a Cook IslandsNew Zealand Society deputation to the New Zealand Parliament Select Committee on Island Territories. Which was to consider the draft Constitution, he would be petitioning for the removal of the clause. In Raratonga at present, he said, a petition with 2000 signatures was being presented to the Assembly asking for the repeal of the three-year regulation. Should these fail. Henry indicated, his party had a stooge standing by who would fill in for him until the party had removed the clause from the draft Constitution after the April elections. The stooge would then resign, forcing a by-election at which Henry would be eligible to stand.

He agreed with the view that the Cook Islanders as a whole were not ready for self-government. But he pointed out that the new Constitution had generated tremendous enthusiasm and that many good people who had previously not offered their services were now coming forward.

What place would arikis have in the government if his party came to power? "The place of the ariki is in his tribe, on his marae." said Henry. "We do not approve of arikis being in parliament purely through their position. If they want to stand, that is all right; but no arikis will stand because that would mean climbing down."