1976 Marshallese Constitutional Convention election

Last updated

Constitutional Convention elections were held in the Marshall Islands in November 1976. [1]

Contents

Background

The calling of a convention was approved by a bill in the District Legislature in August 1976. [2] The 48-member body was to draft a constitution in both English and Marshallese, [2] and consisted of three Marshallese representatives in the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (one senator and two representatives), the eight Iroij members of the District Legislature, the Iroijs of Arno, Mejit and Ujelang/Enewetak, a representative from Likiep and 33 elected members. [1]

Aftermath

Following the elections, the convention was opened in Majuro on 8 August 1977. [1] Ruben Zackhras was elected president of the body. [3]

After work had finished, a ceremony was held at Uliga Protestant Church in Majuro on 4 January 1979 for the formal signing of the constitution. Zackhras then presented the constitution to District Administrator Oscar DeBrum and Legislature Speaker Atlan Anien. The convention was then dissolved on [4] A referendum on the draft constitution was organised for March 1979, with 64% of voters approving the document.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Islands</span> Country near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amata Kabua</span> President of the Marshall Islands from 1979 to 1996

Amata Kabua was the first President of the Marshall Islands from 1979 until his death in 1996.

Iroijlaplap are the traditional paramount chiefs in the Marshall Islands. Ordinary chiefs bear the title of Iroij ; -ļapļap is a superlative suffix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Representatives of Liberia</span> Lower house of Liberian legislature

The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the Senate comprises the Legislature of Liberia. The number of seats is fixed by law at 73, with each county being apportioned a number of seats based on its percentage of the national population. House members represent single-member districts within the counties drawn up by the National Elections Commission and serve six-year terms. The House meets at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislature of the Marshall Islands</span> National legislature of the Marshall Islands

The Legislature of the Marshall Islands has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 18, 2019. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpartisan, but most members of the Nitijeļā are affiliated with one of the four active political parties in the Marshall Islands: Aelon Kein Ad (AKA), Kien Eo Am (KEA), United People's Party (UPP), and United Democratic Party (UDP).

The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The Wisconsin Constitution was written at a constitutional convention held in Madison, Wisconsin, in December 1847 and approved by the citizens of Wisconsin Territory in a referendum held in March 1848. Wisconsin was admitted to the United States on May 29, 1848. Although it has been amended over a hundred times, the original constitution ratified in 1848 is still in use. This makes the Wisconsin Constitution the oldest U.S. state constitution outside of New England. Only Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island use older constitutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of the Marshall Islands</span> Legislative, executive, and judicial powers of the Marshall Islands

The government of the Marshall Islands operates under a mixed parliamentary-presidential system as set forth in its Constitution. Elections are held every four years in universal suffrage, with each of the 24 constituencies electing one or more representatives (senators) to the lower house of RMI's unicameral legislature, the Nitijela. The President, who is head of state as well as head of government, is elected by the 33 senators of the Nitijela. Four of the five Marshallese presidents who have been elected since the Constitution was adopted in 1979 have been traditional paramount chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litokwa Tomeing</span> Former President of the Marshall Islands

Iroij Litokwa Tomeing was the President of the Marshall Islands from January 2008 until October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Marshallese presidential election</span>

An indirect presidential election was held in the Marshall Islands on 26 October 2009 following the ousting of incumbent President Litokwa Tomeing in the nation's first successful vote of no confidence on 21 October 2009. Tomeing had been temporarily replaced by Ruben Zackhras as acting president.

The Guam Constitutional Convention of 1977 was a constitutional convention that took place in Agana, Guam, in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Marshallese Constitutional Convention election</span>

Constitutional Convention elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 21 February 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mattlan Zackhras</span>

Mattlan Zackhras was a Marshallese politician and government minister. He was a member of the Nitijeļā for Namdrik Atoll since 2004 and was serving as Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands under President Hilda Heine from January 2016 until his death.

Amenta Matthew is a Marshallese politician. She was a member of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands from 2007 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2019, representing the electorate of Utrik. She was Minister of Health under Presidents Litokwa Tomeing and Jurelang Zedkaia from 2008 to 2011 and Minister of Internal Affairs under Hilda Heine from 2016 to 2019. She was the second woman in the Marshall Islands to serve as a government minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Marshallese general election</span>

General elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 22 December 1978.

Carmen Milne Bigler is a Marshallese educator, civil servant and former politician. She was the first and only woman to serve in the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Constitutional Convention elections were held in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on 4 June 1974. Voters elected 42 members of a constitutional convention that would draw up a proposed constitution for an independent Micronesian state.

Albert Loeak was a Marshallese chief who served as Iroij of Ailinglaplap.

Iroij Namo Hermios was a Marshallese chief and politician. He served as a member of the House of Representatives of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands between 1965 and 1968, and as a member of the Marshall Islands Legislature until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of the Marshall Islands</span>

The Constitution of the Marshall Islands is the supreme law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in force from 1 May 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Virgin Islands constitutional convention referendum</span>

A referendum on holding a constitutional convention was held in the US Virgin Islands on 3 November 2020 alongside general elections. 72% of voters responding to the referendum question voted in favor and turnout was above the threshold required.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Marshalls Con Con Opened Highlights, 15 August 1977, p5
  2. 1 2 Marshall Legislature Passes ConCon Bill Highlights, 1 September 1977
  3. Marshalls Con Con Elects Officers Highlights, 1 September 1977, p3
  4. Marshalls Constitution Signed Highlights, 15 January 1979, p3