Cooks deputy PM to meet chiefs over takeover claims

Sir Terepai Maoate will meet the chiefs in his capacity as minister responsible for the House of Arikis.

Last week, a faction of the Arikis proclaimed that they were returning the country to customary law, assuming control of government, and dissolving the office of the Queen's Representative.

It is believed the Arikis will be given a rundown of the Cook Islands constitution, and their role and powers under it.

Meanwhile, Cook Islands police are treating the declaration by some of the country's traditional chiefs as an exercise in free speech.

Cook Islands police commissioner, Pat Tasker, says at this stage they are not taking it too seriously.

"The general public feeling is that its laughable, they've made fools of themselves," he said.

"We investigated their actions and have come to the conclusion that under the constitution of the Cook Islands, people can exercise free speech, and they haven't done anything at this stage to break criminal law that we can identify".