Independence
After spending some time as an independent, Kopu decided to establish her own political party, Mana Wahine Te Ira Tangata. When she launched the party in October 1997, Kopu claimed to have 6,000 members. The party was ostensibly based on promoting the welfare of Māori women. Many of Kopu's critics, however, claimed that the party was established primarily to ensure Kopu received more generous parliamentary funding. Mana Wahine became significant when, in 1999, the governing National Party found itself reliant on Mana Wahine's support (along with that of various former New Zealand First MPs). National, left with a precarious majority when its coalition with New Zealand First collapsed, needed as much support as it could find, and managed to obtain Kopu's backing.
In the 1999 election, Kopu stood as her party's candidate in the Waiariki electorate. Eleven other Mana Wahine candidates also stood. The party had also intended to submit a party list, but Kopu failed to submit it before the deadline. This eliminated the possibility of Kopu remaining in parliament as a list MP - she would need to win her electorate race in order to keep her seat. In the election, however, Kopu won only 1.7% of the vote in Waiariki, placing sixth. Moreover, the national vote for Mana Wahine candidates indicated that Kopu would not have been returned as a list MP in any case. Kopu lost her parliamentary seat.
Kopu died in Rotorua on 4 December 2011.
Read more about this topic: Alamein Kopu
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