![]() |
---|
A six-part referendum was held in Palau on 2 November 2004 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on summoning a Constitutional Convention, payment of members of the National Congress, creating a unicameral Congress, term limits for Congress members, election of the President and Vice President and dual citizenship. All proposals were approved except the unicameral Congress, which despite receiving a majority of the public vote, did not meet the quorum of 12 of 16 states required for amendments to the constitution.
Shall there be a Convention to revise or amend the Constitution? [1]
Choice | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
For | 5,085 | 57.60 |
Against | 3,742 | 42.40 |
Invalid/blank votes | 810 | – |
Total | 9,637 | 100 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | 73.05 |
Source: Direct Democracy |
Voters were asked whether they approved of a popular initiative to amend the constitution regarding the payment of members of the National Congress. The proposed amendment of article IX, section 8 would have read:
The compensation of the members of the Olbiil Era Kelulau shall be uniform fee for each day the member attends an official session of the Olbiil Era Kelulau. The amount of the fee shall be determined by law. No increase in compensation shall apply to the members of the Olbiil Era Kelulau during the term of enactment, nor may an increase in compensation be enacted in the period between the date of a regular general election and the date a new Olbiil Era Kelulau takes office." [2]
Choice | Votes | % | States |
---|---|---|---|
For | 6'466 | 74.33 | 15 |
Against | 2'598 | 28.67 | 15 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – | |
Total | 9,064 | 100 | 16 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | – | |
Source: Direct Democracy |
Choice | Votes | % | States |
---|---|---|---|
For | 5,086 | 55.99 | 11 |
Against | 3,997 | 44.01 | 5 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – | |
Total | 9,083 | 100 | 16 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | – | |
Source: Direct Democracy |
A popular initiative proposed amending the constitution to limit the number of terms a member of the National Congress could serve to three. The text would read:
No person shall serve as a member of the Olbiil Era Kelulau for more than three terms; provided however, that any person elected as a member of the Olbiil Era Kelulau in the regular general election in which this amendment is adopted shall be entitle to serve the four-year for which he or she was elected regardless of the number of previous terms served. [3]
Choice | Votes | % | States |
---|---|---|---|
For | 5,601 | 60.43 | 13 |
Against | 3,667 | 39.57 | 3 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – | |
Total | 9,268 | 100 | 16 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | – | |
Source: Direct Democracy |
A popular initiative proposed amending the constitution to elect the president and vice president together rather than separately. It would amend Article VIII, section 4 of the constitution to read:
The President and Vice President shall be elected in a nationwide election for a term of four (4) years. The President and Vice President shall be chosen jointly by the casting by each voter of A single vote applicable to both offices. A person may not serve as President for more than two consecutive terms. [4]
Choice | Votes | % | States |
---|---|---|---|
For | 5,334 | 58.42 | 14 |
Against | 3,795 | 41.58 | 2 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – | |
Total | 9,129 | 100 | 16 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | – | |
Source: Direct Democracy |
A popular initiative proposed amending the constitution to allow Palauan citizens to hold dual citizenship, and give citizenship at birth to people with Palauan parents. The proposed wording was:
A person born of parent, one or both of whom are of recognized Palauan ancestry, is a citizenship shall not affect a person's Palauan citizenship, nor shall a person of recognized Palauan ancestry be required to renounce United States citizenship to become a naturalized citizen of Palau. Persons of other foreign nations may retain their Palauan citizenship or become naturalized Palauan citizens as provided by law. Palauan citizen may renounce their Palauan citizenship. Renouncements made prior to the effective date of this amendment are not affected by this amendment. [5]
Choice | Votes | % | States |
---|---|---|---|
For | 5,791 | 62.59 | 16 |
Against | 3,460 | 37.41 | 0 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – | |
Total | 9,251 | 100 | 16 |
Registered voters/turnout | 13,191 | – | |
Source: Direct Democracy |
A popular initiative is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. The hurdles the petition has to meet vary between countries, typically signatures by a certain number of registered voters.
The National Assembly was the authoritative legislative body of the Republic of China, from 1947 to 2005. Along with the Control Yuan and the Legislative Yuan, the National Assembly formed the tricameral parliament of the Republic of China.
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to the constitution as supplemental additions, thus changing the frame of government without altering the existing text of the document.
"Belau rekid" is the national anthem of Palau. Officially adopted in 1981, the music was composed by Ymesei O. Ezekiel, to which the combined words of several authors were set.
Palau has a bicameral legislature, the Palau National Congress, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Palau, which both sit at the capitol complex in Ngerulmud, Melekeok State. The House of Delegates has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 13 members, also serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. In the last elections, held in 2020, only non-partisans were elected; no political parties exist.
Elections in the Philippines are of several types. The president, vice-president, and the senators are elected for a six-year term, while the members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, mayors, vice-mayors, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan, barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan are elected to serve for a three-year term.
On a national level, the citizens of Palau elect a president, who serves a four-year term, and acts as head of state. A national bicameral legislature, is also elected, consisting of the Palau National Congress and the Senate of Palau. The National Congress has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 9 members, also serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies.
The National initiative is a proposed process to petition an initiative at the federal level in the United States via a national vote on the national ballot measure. While some U.S. states allow direct or indirect initiatives, there are currently no national initiatives in the United States.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia on 8 March 2005, alongside a three-part referendum. As no political parties existed, all 23 candidates for the 10 available seats in Congress ran as Independents.
The right of non-citizens to vote in the United States has historically been a contentious issue. Since 1997, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 has prohibited non-citizens from voting in federal elections, with the threat of fines, imprisonment, inadmissibility and deportation. Exempt from punishment is any noncitizen who, at the time of voting, had two natural or adoptive U.S. citizen parents, who began permanently living in the United States before turning 16 years old, and who reasonably believed that they were a citizen of the United States. At one point or another before 1926 40 states had non-citizens voting in elections. While federal law does not prohibit noncitizens from voting in state or local elections, no state has allowed noncitizens to vote in statewide elections since Arkansas became the last state to outlaw noncitizen voting in state elections in 1926. As of December 2022, at least thirteen local jurisdictions allow non-citizen voting, namely Winooski and Montpelier in Vermont, and eleven in Maryland near Washington, D.C. In 2023, D.C. itself started allowing local non-citizen voting. Additionally, the U.S. territories of American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands allow non-citizen US nationals to vote, a status granted to all persons born in American Samoa. All persons born in the Northern Mariana Islands automatically become US citizens at birth, as opposed to becoming US nationals at birth. Guam and Hawaiʻi, by contrast do not allow non-citizen US nationals to vote.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Palau:
The Constitution of the Philippines is the constitution or the supreme law of the Republic of the Philippines. Its final draft was completed by the Constitutional Commission on October 12, 1986, and ratified by a nationwide plebiscite on February 2, 1987.
Hokkons Baules is a businessman and a politician, and currently a member of the Senate of Palau. He has been the president of the Senate since 19 January 2017. He was elected in 2008 to fill the seat of the late Senate president Johnny Reklai. He had previously served in the Senate of the Second Olbiil Era Kelulau from 1985 until 1988.
Proposition 7 of 1911 was an amendment of the Constitution of California that introduced, for the first time, the initiative and the optional referendum. Prior to 1911 the only form of direct democracy in California was the compulsory referendum.
The Constitution of Kenya is the supreme law of the Republic of Kenya. There have been three significant versions of the constitution, with the most recent redraft being enabled in 2010. The constitution was presented to the Attorney General of Kenya on 7 April 2010, officially published on 6 May 2010, and was subjected to a referendum on 4 August 2010. The new Constitution was approved by 67% of Kenyan voters. The constitution was promulgated on 27 August 2010.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia on 8 March 2011, alongside a three-part referendum. As there were no political parties, all 34 candidates ran as independents. For the first time in the country's history, two women ran for election, both in Chuuk State. However, neither was elected.
A twenty-three-part referendum was held in Palau on 4 November 2008 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on requirements of citizenship to hold office, government provision of primary school and health care, the definition of marriage and term limits for Parliament. Only the proposal permitting naturalization for certain adoptees failed to obtain the requisite majority of the vote and majority in 3/4th of the states.
A campaign finance reform amendment refers to any proposed amendment to the United States Constitution to authorize greater restrictions on spending related to political speech, and to overturn Supreme Court rulings which have narrowed such laws under the First Amendment. Several amendments have been filed since Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and the Occupy movement.
Raynold B. Oilouch is a Palauan politician who served as the Vice President of Palau from 19 January 2017 to 21 January 2021. Oilouch was elected vice president in the 2016 elections. He was also the Minister of Justice.
Rukebai Inabo is a Palauan politician, who has been a member of the Senate of Palau since 2016. Prior to entering politics, Inabo was a businesswoman who worked at the Office of the Public Auditor, the Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Company, the Bank of Hawaii and was CEO at the Palau Public Utilities Corporation. She joined the Senate of Palau at the 2016 Palauan general election.