| The Mana Movement | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Hone Harawira |
| Chairperson | Matt McCarten |
| President | Annette Sykes (interim) |
| Founded | 30 April 2011 |
| Youth wing | Mana Rangatahi |
| Ideology | Indigenous rights Socialism |
| Political position | Left-Wing |
| International affiliation | Not Affliated |
| Official colors | Red, Black |
| MPs in the House of Representatives |
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| Website | |
| http://mana.net.nz/ | |
The Mana Party is a New Zealand political party led by Hone Harawira which was formed in April, 2011[1] following Hone Harawira's resignation from the Māori Party. Hone Harawira won the by-election in Te Tai Tokerau of 25 June 2011 for the Mana Party [2], and went on to retain this seat during the 2011 general election. The party currently has one seat in the New Zealand parliament.[3]
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The party formed following Hone Harawira's resignation from the Māori Party after that party's disciplinary committee recommended his expulsion. He had been vocal in his opposition to the Māori Party's position on the foreshore and seabed issue.[4] Harawira subsequently began organising a new party to compete with the Māori Party, and attracted the support of left-wing activist John Minto and former Green MPs Nándor Tánczos and Sue Bradford.[5] The party was formally launched on 30 April 2011.
On 4 May 2011 Harawira stated his intention to resign his seat Te Tai Tokerau in order to have himself recognised as a candidate of the Mana Party in any subsequent by-election; after his resignation from the Māori Party, parliamentary rules on political parties in the House officially recognised Harawira only as an Independent MP. Following criticism that the by-election would be "a ridiculous publicity stunt" and would cost the NZ taxpayer $500,000, Harawira put his resignation on hold, saying that he wanted to take the decision back to the people of his Te Tai Tokerau electorate.[6] He announced his resignation from Parliament, forcing the Te Tai Tokerau by-election, on 11 May. [7]
Possible candidates for other constituencies include Māori lawyer and party co-vice president[8] Annette Sykes and former Alliance organiser and party chairman Matt McCarten.[9] Harawira stated that he hoped that five Mana MPs would enter the 50th New Zealand Parliament after the 26 November 2011 New Zealand general election.[10]
The party applied for registration on 24 May 2011.[11] Registration was officially granted on 24 June 2011.[12] In September 2011 the party's logo was registered by the Electoral Commission.[13]
The Mana Party did not receive taxpayer-funded television airtime during the 2011 general-election campaign, as it was formed after the 17 March deadline for funding applications.[14]
Mana ran a total of 7 candidates in Maori electorate seats, 14 in General seats and 21 on their list. Mr Harawira comfortably retained his seat in Te Tai Tokerau, and Annette Sykes managed to poll over 5,000 votes in the Maori stronghold of Waiariki. Countrywide Mana gained just under 20,000 votes, and therefore 1% of the electorate. However, Mana has not made any significant gains in the election in terms of parliamentary seats, and it is unsure how this will impact the new party.
| Election | # of candidates nominated (electorate/list) | # of seats won | # of party votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 |
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Mana describes itself as 'a political waka for all peoples' with a specific focus on giving a voice to 'the poor, the powerless and the dispossessed' and to 'empower them against the government by the rich and powerful for the rich and powerful'.[16]
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