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The Margin★ Midterms 2026 · 124d
Asia & Pacific · reference

🇰🇮 Kiribati

Republic blending parliamentary and presidential features

SystemRepublic blending parliamentary and presidential features
Head of statePresident Taneti Maamau (head of state and government, directly elected from among MPs' nominees)
LegislatureHouse of Assembly (Maneaba ni Maungatabu) · 45 seats
ElectionsFree elections, though a 2022-24 judiciary standoff and the near-total defeat of the opposition raised governance concerns
Last election2024-10-25 · presidential election, following the August 2024 parliamentary vote
Next election2028 · parliamentary and presidential elections due

Scattered across 33 atolls spanning an area wider than India, Kiribati is among the states most exposed to sea-level rise and has purchased land in Fiji as a hedge. Maamau switched recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019, bringing Chinese police cooperation that unsettles Australia and its partners. The suspension of expatriate judges in 2022 drew Commonwealth criticism of judicial independence.

Live encyclopedic leader and election records · verified 2026-07-02
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