Common roll seats

Nearly half contesting Niue's common roll seats are women

The provisional roll released on Friday includes what's believed to be a record 24 candidates contesting the six nationally elected seats, ten of them women.

The other 14 seats are elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies representing the 14 villages of Niue.

MP for Mutalau Bill Vakaafi Motufoou was among those pushing women voters to part with tradition and vote for their own sex.