Sonya Talagi duly elected 6th Common Roll Member, while Lisimoni-Togahai has filed petition for a recount
Sonya Talagi with her partner Poi Kapaga, was yesterday declared duly elected after official recount resulted in a change in number of votes (PC - Bill Vakaafi Motofoou)
Sonya Talagi has been declared duly elected as the 6th Common Roll member to the 18th Legislative Assembly, after the final recount was completed and released last night by Chief Electoral Officer Darren Tohovaka and his Deputy Richard Siataga.
Sonya Talagi is the daughter of the late former Premier Sir Toke Talagi and Lady Fifita Talagi. Sonya took leave from her public service role as Director of Transport to enter the general elections.
On Saturday night with the provisional results, the sixth seat on the Common Roll was tied between Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai and Sonya Talagi both with 364 votes.
After the recount yesterday those results changed, Sonya Talagi is the successful candidate as the sixth member of the common roll with 362 votes and Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai just lost out, ranked 7th with 360 votes.
According to the official report, both Sonya Talagi and Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai lost votes in the recount.
Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai lost 4 votes after the recount, she lost 2 votes from the village of Mutalau, 1 vote from Hikutavake and 1 from Tuapa.
Meanwhile Sonya Talagi lost two votes, one from Mutalau and one from Tuapa.
In an interview with BCN News this morning, Darren Tohovaka said that he has informed Mrs Lisimoni-Togahai that in accordance with the law, she has three days to file a petition to Niue High Court for a recount and to nominate a scrutineer to be present during this recount.
This afternoon he confirmed to BCN News that Mrs Lisimoni-Togahai has filed a petition to the courts for a recount for the villages of Mutalau, Hikutavake and Tuapa.
The final outcome of the Common Roll seats after the official recount resulted in a reduction to the votes of all the top six candidates. Crossley Tatui topped the polls with 409 votes, newcomer Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui in second place with 394, another newcomer in lawyer Sinahemana Hekau in third place with 387, in fourth place is former minister Billy Graham Talagi with 366 votes, veteran Common Roll MP O’love Tauveve Jacobsen with 364 votes and Sonya Talagi in number six with 362.
BCN News will continue to update on this developing story.
