The Republic of New Zealand Party (RONZP or "The Republicans") was a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The party's registration was cancelled at its own request in 2009. It is not affiliated with the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand

Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand is an organisation formed in 1994 whose object is to support the creation of a New Zealand republic . It is Chaired by Lewis Holden. The patron of the Movement is Keri Hulme, a New Zealand writer famous for her 1985 Booker Prize winning novel The Bone...

, which is a nonpartisan organisation that does not share any of RNZP's policy platforms.

Despite deregistering, a handful of the party's members remain active under its banner - burning the New Zealand flag at parliament in March 2010.

Background

John Kairau founded the party, which merged with another group in April 2005. Kerry Bevin became the political leader and John Kairau was the president of the party. In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Kairau said "The party's aim is simple: to cut all ties with the British monarchy and install a New Zealander as head of state. A president, elected at large by the citizens, would replace the Governor-General as a figurehead, with parliament continuing as normal." He claimed the party had 3,000 members.

Kerry Bevin

Kerry Bevin

Kerry Bevin was leader of The Republic of New Zealand Party, and was a list candidate for the 2005 and 2008 general elections.The party received the lowest number of votes for any party in both the 2005 and 2008 general elections....

 led the party in the 2005 and 2008 General Elections. The party failed to re-register itself in time for the 2011 general election, and did not run any candidates.

Local elections

The party's deputy leader Jack Gielen ran for the Mayor of Hamilton

Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...

 in 2010, placing last with 404 votes.

General elections

In the 2005 elections

New Zealand general election, 2005

The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...

, the party won 344 votes or 0.02%, well below the 5% threshold required to enter parliament without an electorate seat (which they did not win). In the 2008 elections

New Zealand general election, 2008

The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...

they polled even worse (313 votes)- 0.01% of the total party votes submitted in that election.