The people of Kiribati went to the polls today for the first round of national elections, which are expected to serve as a referendum on the rising cost of living and the country's stronger ties with China.
The second round of elections is scheduled for 19 August for all parliamentary seats not won by a majority. The results of the first round are expected on Thursday.
The low-lying atoll nation of 120,000 inhabitants is one of the most threatened in the world by rising sea levels and doesn't have the wealth of resources or tourist brand of other Pacific islands. But its proximity to Hawaii and its enormous oceanic extension have reinforced its strategic importance and provoked a conflict of influence between the Western powers and Beijing.
The Kiribati government has severed ties with Taiwan and come to recognize Beijing as the sole government of the whole of China, citing its national interest and joining several other Pacific nations that have cut diplomatic ties with Taipei since 2016.
Kiribati is one of the world's most dependent nations on international aid and is classified by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a country at high risk of external indebtedness.
Its existence is threatened by coastal erosion and rising seas, which have contaminated drinking water and driven much of the population to the most populous island, South Tarawa.
The blocked or delayed entry of Australian officials into Kiribati in recent years and a stagnant flow of information between the governments have provoked anxiety in Canberra about the scale of Beijing's influence in the territory.
‘Many countries in the region are really trying to find their place among the current intense geostrategic competition,’ said Blake Johnson, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, quoted by the US news agency Associated Press (AP).
Kiribati ‘has adopted the approach of keeping its cards tightly closed’ and is not divulging details ‘that could have an impact on how those relations are evolving,’ said the analyst.
Today's election will decide 44 of the 45 seats in the local parliament, but not the presidency of Kiribati, which should be decided in October. A public vote will be held to choose the leader from three or four candidates selected from among those elected this month.
The current President, Taneti Maamau, who has been in office since 2016, is expected to seek another term as leader.
The rising cost of living, medicine shortages and fuel shortages are likely to be key issues for voters. According to analysts, voters are likely to reward the current government for introducing universal unemployment benefits. Australia's concerns include reports that Beijing has trained and equipped Kiribati police officers and the suspension of foreign judges serving in the island nation.
‘It's interesting to note that these Western countries maintain their own links with China, but when small island states do the same, suddenly concerns arise,’ said Takuia Uakeia, director of the Kiribati campus of the University of the South Pacific.‘This is well understood by the people,’ emphasized the academic.
Political parties are free groups in Kiribati and legislators do not confirm their allegiance until they are elected to office.
Kiribati was traditionally a society governed by consensus, with strong democratic principles and respect for its constitution, but the scramble for influence by foreign forces has sown divisions, pointed out Rimon Rimon, an independent journalist living in the island territory.
For the journalist, the current competition between the island territory's donors and partners creates some uncertainty about the future.
The elections featured 115 candidates, including 18 women. According to Radio New Zealand, the candidates were unopposed for four seats, three of which were MPs from the ruling Tobwaan Kiribati Party.
