The Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands has sided with the government, and agreed that the parliament was properly adjourned last Friday.
The decision has quashed the opposition coalition's attempt to pass a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Henry Puna on Monday, while he was overseas.
The opposition had argued the Cook Islands parliament was not adjourned on Friday, allowing them to continue sitting on Monday June 20.
The opposition coalition is now seeking legal clarification on the representative's decision.
Queen's Representative Tom Marsters read a statement on local radio making the decision clear, and afterwards posted the statement on Facebook.
"The resolution was that parliament be adjourned without a fixed date. In that case parliament will sit again when I direct, pursuant to the Constitution of the Cook Islands, Article 29(1) and the Standing Orders of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, Order 52," he said.
If the vote of no confidence had passed, opposition MP Rose Brown could have become the Cook Islands' first female Prime Minister.
Newshub.
