Niue will go to the polls to elect new village councils this month.
Darren Tohovaka the Chief Electoral Officer last week announced the date of the election for the Niue village council Elections to be Friday 27th August.
The Chief electoral officer located at the Justice Department is now accepting candidate nominations until 12 o’clock midday tomorrow, Wednesday the 11th of August.
Women are equally represented in the total number of members from all fourteen village councils, with 31 of the 61 elected members.
Six village councils are chaired by women with Rupina Morrissey at Alofi North, Etaena Poihega the youngest VC chairperson for the village of Makefu.
Namukulu VC is led by Kilitaumana Hiligutu and in neighbouring Hikutavake the village council chairperson is Mrs Olevai Pipitolu.
The village with the most female council members is Vaiea with three led by Mrs Takala Talaiti is arguably one of the longest-serving councillors on Niue. Mrs Itzy Tukuitoga is the chair of the Hakupu village council.
Some of these village council members have served their villages for many years, the chairperson of the Lakepa VC Togalilo Konelio said that he’s been in the VC for nearly thirty years.
Each of the fourteen village councils is required to have a minimum of three and a maximum of five members.
At the moment most of the village councils have either four or five members.
The villages of Alofi North, Tamakautoga and Liku only have 3 village elected council members.
All village councils are given an annual grant of $10,000 per year for their activities. Elected council members are paid $500 per quarter or $2,000 per year.
In order to receive these funds, the village councils must submit their annual reports and audited accounts, and financial reports to the government. Village councils should submit their quarterly reports to the Community Affairs department in order to receive the stipend for the elected members.
