Legislature of the Marshall Islands

National legislature of the Marshall Islands

Legislature of the Marshall Islands

Nitijeļā

Type
Type|

Unicameral

History
Founded| 1979[1]
Leadership

Speaker

Brenson Wase
since 3 January 2024

Vice Speaker

Issac Zacharias
since 3 January 2024

Structure
Seats| 33 members

Political groups

|   Independent (33)

Length of term

| 4 years
Elections

Voting system

| Single and multi-seat constituencies

Last election

| 20 November 2023
Meeting place
Capitol Building, Majuro
Website
rmiparliament.org/cms/

Politics of the Marshall Islands

Constitution

* Human rights

LGBT rights

Executive

* President (list)

Hilda Heine

Legislative

* Legislature

Speaker: Brenson Wase
* Council of Iroij (consultative)

Judiciary

* Supreme Court

Chief Justice: Daniel N. Cadra
* High Court

Chief Justice: Carl Ingram

Elections

* Recent elections

* General: 2015
* 2019
* 2023

* Constitutional convention: 2017

* Political parties

Administrative divisions

* Inhabited municipalities

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in the Marshall Islands

* * *

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy
* Compact of Free Association

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The Legislature of the Marshall Islands (Marshallese: Nitijeļā [nʲidˠiːzʲɛlˠæ])[2] has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 20, 2023. 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).

## History

[edit]

Bicameral Marshall Islands Congress was established in July 1950. The two chambers were the House of Iroij and the House of Assembly.[3] Kabua Kabua was the president of the House of Iroij in 1953. Atlan Anien was the president of the House of Assembly in 1953.[3]

The Congress was reformulated as unicameral in 1958.[4][5] Members were elected for a 4-year term. The congress was chaired by Atlan Anien in 1959, Amata Kabua in 1962, and Dwight Heine in 1963 and 1964[4]

The legislature, Nitijeļā, was established in its current form in 1979 by the Constitution of the Marshall Islands.

## Speakers

[edit]

The salary of the speaker is set to 35,000 USD annually.[6]

Name  | Period  | Notes

|
|

Atlan Anien | 1979–1988  | [7]
Kessai Note | 1988–1999  | [7]
Litokwa Tomeing | January 10, 2000 – 2007  | [7]
Jurelang Zedkaia | January 7, 2008 – October 26, 2009  | [7]
Alvin Jacklick | November 2, 2009 – January 7, 2012  | [7]
Donald Capelle | January 7, 2012 – January 4, 2016  | [7]
Kenneth Kedi | January 4, 2016 – January 3, 2024  | [7]
Brenson Wase | January 3, 2024 – Incumbent  | [7]

## Members of Nitijeļā

[edit]

The twenty-four electoral districts into which the country is divided correspond to the inhabited islands and atolls. There are four political parties in the Marshall Islands: Aelon Kein Ad (AKA), Kien Eo Am (KEA), United People's Party (UPP), and United Democratic Party (UDP). Control is shared by the AKA and the KEA.

Members of the Nitijeļā as of 2020[8] Constituency  | Member  | Title  | Party

|
|
|

Ailinglaplap Atoll | Alfred Alfred Jr. | Minister of Resources and Development  | KEA
Christopher Loeak | Senator, former president (2012–2015)  | AKA
Ailuk Atoll | Maynard Alfred | Senator  | KEA
Arno Atoll | Jejwarick Anton | Vice Speaker  | KEA
Mike Halferty | Minister of Transportation and Communication  | Ind.
Aur Atoll | Hilda Heine | Senator, former president (2016–2020)  | Ind.
Ebon Atoll | John Silk | Minister of Foreign Affairs  | KEA
Enewetak Atoll | Jack Ading | Senator  | AKA
Jabat Island | Kessai Note | Senator, former president (2000–2007)  | UDP
Jaluit Atoll | Daisy Alik-Momotaro | Senator  | Ind.
Casten Nemra | Senator, former president (2016)  | Ind.
Kili Island | Eldon Note | Senator  | UDP
Kwajalein Atoll | Alvin Jacklick | Senator  | KEA
Michael Kabua | Senator  | AKA
David Paul | Minister in Assistance to the President  | KEA
Lae Atoll | Thomas Heine | Minister of Justice  | AKA
Lib Island | Joe Bejang | Senator  | AKA
Likiep Atoll | Leander Leander Jr. | Senator  | AKA
Majuro Atoll | Kalani Kaneko | Minister of Health  | KEA
David Kramer | Senator  | KEA
Tony Muller | Minister of Public Works  | KEA
Sherwood Tibon | Senator  | KEA
Brenson Wase | Minister of Finance  | KEA
Maloelap Atoll | Bruce Bilimon | Senator  | AKA
Mejit Island | Dennis Momotaro | Senator  | UPP
Mili Atoll | Wilbur Heine | Minister of Education  | AKA
Namdrik Atoll | Wisely Zackhras | Senator  | UDP
Namu Atoll | Tony Aiseia | Senator  | AKA
Rongelap Atoll | Kenneth Kedi | Speaker  | KEA
Ujae Atoll | Atbi Riklon | Senator  | AKA
Utirik Atoll | Amenta Matthew | Minister of Internal Affairs  | KEA
Wotho Atoll | David Kabua | President  | AKA
Wotje Atoll | Litokwa Tomeing | Senator, former President  | UPP

## Committees

[edit]

The Nitijeļā has 7 permanent standing committees with oversight authority and legislative authority. All committees have 9 members.[9]

Nitijeļā Permanent Standing Committees[9] Committee  | Chair  | Duties

|
|

Appropriation  | Casten Nemra | considers and reports on all legislation relating to public expenditure or financial administration, both federal and local, including budget estimates and supplementary estimates referred to it
Public Accounts  | Bruce Bilimon  | considers the public funds and account of the Marshall Islands, in conjunction with the report of the Auditor-General on them; reports to the Nitijeļā any excess/unauthorized expenditures and the reasoning for it; proposes any legislation it deems necessary to ensure public funds are properly and efficiently spent and accounted for; reports to the Nitijeļā on any audit of public accounts
Health, Education, and Social Affairs  | Alvin Jacklick | considers all legislation relating to the education, health, condition of labor, and well-being of the people of the Marshall Islands
Ways and Means  | Sherwood Tibon  | considers all legislation relating to the revenue of the federal and local governments, including matters relating to the administration of revenue laws
Judiciary and Governmental Relations  | Daisy Alik-Momotaro |
Resources and Development  | David Kramer |
Foreign Affairs and Trade  | Maynard Alfred  |

## Staff

[edit]

The Nitijeļā is supported by various staff.

### Clerk of the Nitijeļā

[edit]

The Clerk is the administrative head of the legislature, with authority to approve related matters. The Clerk prepares the Nitijeļā's business and serves as the legislature's secretary, keeping minutes and publishing them.[10]

The current Clerk is Morean Watak, and Carl Alik is her Assistant Clerk.[10]

### Legislative Counsel

[edit]

The Office of the Legislative Counsel was established in 1981. The office provides legal advice to MPs and the Speaker, as well as providing legislative drafting services. The Legislative Counsel also serves as the Commissioner of the Marshall Islands Revised Code if the Cabinet has not appointed a Commissioner.[11]

The current Legislative Counsel is Joe Lomae.[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Government of the Marshall Islands
* Politics of the Marshall Islands
* Elections in the Marshall Islands
* Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
* List of legislatures by country

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "History of the Nitijela". rmiparliament.org. Archived from the original on 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
2. ^ "Marshallese-English Dictionary". www.trussel2.com.
3. ^ a b "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands". Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Office of United Nations Political Affairs. August 2, 1955 – via Google Books.
4. ^ a b "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands". Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Office of United Nations Political Affairs. January 1, 1964 – via Google Books.
5. ^ "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands". Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Office of United Nations Political Affairs. 1971 – via Google Books.
6. ^ Nitijela. "NITIJELA MEMBERS COMPENSATION ACT 1980" (PDF). rmiparliament.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-02. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Republic of the Marshall Islands". rmiparliament.org. Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
8. ^ "Members". rmiparliament.org. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
9. ^ a b "Permanent Standing Committees". rmiparliament.org. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
10. ^ a b "Office of the Clerk". rmiparliament.org. Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
11. ^ a b "Office of the Legislative Counsel". rmiparliament.org. Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-27.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nitijela.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Legislatures of Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Indonesia
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Timor-Leste
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

* v
* t
* e

National unicameral legislatures

Federal|

* Comoros
* Germany
* Iraq
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* United Arab Emirates
* Venezuela

Unitary|

* Afghanistan
* Albania
* Andorra
* Angola
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bangladesh
* Benin
* Botswana
* Brunei
* Bulgaria
* Burkina Faso
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* China
* Costa Rica
* Croatia
* Cuba
* Cyprus
* Denmark
* Djibouti
* Dominica
* East Timor
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Eritrea
* Estonia
* Fiji
* Finland
* Gambia
* Georgia
* Ghana
* Greece
* Guatemala
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Guyana
* Honduras
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Iran
* Israel
* Kiribati
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Latvia
* Lebanon
* Libya
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malawi
* Maldives
* Mali
* Malta
* Marshall Islands
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Mongolia
* Montenegro
* Mozambique
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Nicaragua
* Niger
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Palestine
* Panama
* Papua New Guinea
* Peru
* Portugal
* Qatar
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Samoa
* San Marino
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Saudi Arabia
* Senegal
* Serbia
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Solomon Islands
* Sri Lanka
* Suriname
* Sweden
* Syria
* Tanzania
* Tonga
* Tunisia
* Turkey
* Tuvalu
* Uganda
* Ukraine
* Vanuatu
* Holy See (Vatican City)
* Vietnam
* Yemen
* Zambia

Dependent and
other territories|

* Åland Islands
* Anguilla
* Aruba
* Azores
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Cook Islands
* Curaçao
* Falkland Islands
* Faroe Islands
* French Polynesia
* Gibraltar
* Greenland
* Guam
* Guernsey
* Hong Kong
* Jersey
* Madeira
* Macau
* Montserrat
* New Caledonia
* Niue
* Pitcairn Islands
* Saint Barthélemy
* Saint Helena
* Saint Martin
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon
* Sint Maarten
* Tobago
* Tokelau
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* Wallis and Futuna

Non-UN states|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan
* Transnistria

Historical|

* Artsakh (1991–2023)
* Confederate States (1861–1862)
* Czechoslovakia (1948–1969)
* Irish Republic (1919–1922)
* Norfolk Island
* Orange Free State (1854–1902)
* Philippines (1976-1987)
* Scotland
* Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)
* Sicily
* Sikkim (1953–1975)
* South African Republic (1857–1902)

Related|

* Bicameralism
* Tricameralism
* Multicameralism
* List of legislatures by country

* National bicameral legislatures
* National lower houses
* National upper houses

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template