Tamaiti Vai Peua is a Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...

 politician and former member of the Cook Islands Parliament

Parliament of the Cook Islands

The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand colonial rule, it became the national legislature on independence in 1965....

.

Peua was born on Rarotonga

Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...

 and educated at Pukapuka Primary school and Aitutaki Junior High School. He worked as a public servant, including serving as Deputy Register for the Cook Islands High Court from 1990, and acting Island Secretary in 1999. At the 2006 election

Cook Islands general election, 2006

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on September 27, 2006 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Democratic Party remained in power, winning 15 of 24 seats. A total of 8,497 voters turned out to vote....

 he ran as a candidate for the Cook Islands Party

Cook Islands Party

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....

 in the constituency of Pukapuka-Nassau

Pukapuka-Nassau (Cook Islands electorate)

Pukapuka-Nassau is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Tekii Lazaro, who has held the seat since 2011.The electorate consists of the islands of Pukapuka and Nassau....

 and won his seat, but he subsequently left the party and declared himself an independent.

In August 2010 Peua failed to be selected as a candidate for the Cook Islands Party in the 2010 election

Cook Islands general election, 2010

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 17 November 2010 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party, which won 16 of the 24 seats...

. He subsequently sought the nomination for the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (Cook Islands)

The Democratic Party is a liberal political party in the Cook Islands. It is currently the Opposition party in the Cook Islands Parliament.-Early years:...

, but ultimately contested the election as an independent and lost the seat.

External links

• Profile at Cook Islands Parliament.