India, Aug. 15 -- Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is expected to lead the South Pacific nation's Government for a second term after his party won more seats than any other group in this week's election.

Voting continued for one of 24 Parliamentary seats in the country of 17,000 people, which is made up of 15 islands. Bad weather prevented electoral officers from reaching the island of Nassau earlier in the week and results there were expected late Friday New Zealand time.

However, Brown's Cook Islands Party, a nationalist group that has governed since 2010, was already celebrating victory after winning 12 seats which promised a fifth term in power. A 13-seat majority is required to form a government, but Brown's party has joined ...