Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with File:New Zealand-icon.png New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. One of the world's largest coral islands, Niue is commonly referred to as "The Rock", which comes from the traditional name "Rock of Polynesia".
The politics of Niue take place in a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a de-facto non-partisan system.
Political Parties
In Niue, political parties have never played an important role. There is, at present, no political party, and candidates to elections therefore run as independents. The only party ever to have existed, the Niue People's Party, disbanded in 2003. As there are no political parties, there is no formal parliamentary opposition, though there are members of parliament who oppose the government.