The constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

 of the Republic of Nauru was adopted following national independence on 31 January 1968.

In 2007 there were political debates in progress with a view to amend aspects of the Constitution, owing to the challenge of widely acknowledged political instability. One notable issue being discussed was the possibility of making the office of President of Nauru

President of Nauru

The President of Nauru is elected by Parliament from amongst its members. He is both the head of state and head of government of Nauru. Nauru's unicameral Parliament has 18 members, with an electoral term of 3 years. Political parties only play a minor role in Nauru politics, and there has often...

 directly elected by the population, instead of the office being indirectly elected by the Parliament of Nauru

Parliament of Nauru

The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....

. Owing to frequent recourse to the vote of no confidences, changes of President have been frequent (i.e.: Bernard Dowiyogo

Bernard Dowiyogo

HE Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo was President of the Republic of Nauru.-Background and early career:He first became an elected member of Nauru's 18-seat parliament in 1973...

 was appointed President of Nauru a total of seven times, prior to his death in 2003). Supporters of making the office of President independent of a Parliamentary vote hope that increased stability will ensure from the adoption of such a measure. Sceptics are concerned that attempts may arise to set aside the elected President through the courts; bearing in mind also that under the Nauruan

Nauruan

Nauruan may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Nauru* Nauruan people, persons from Nauru, or of Nauruan descent. For more information see Demographics of Nauru and Culture of Nauru. For specific persons, see List of Nauruans....

 court system some appeals are actually heard in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Arrangement of Parts

The Constitution of Nauru

Nauru

Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...

is divided into 11 parts and 6 schedules:

Part I (Articles 1 and 2) - The Republic of Nauru and the Supreme Law of Nauru

Part II (Articles 3-15) - Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

Part III (Articles 16-25) - The President and the Executive

Part IV (Articles 26-47) - The Legislature

Part V (Articles 48-57) - The Judicature

Part VI (Articles 58-67) - Finance

Part VII (Articles 68-70) - The Public Service

Part VIII (Articles 71-76) - Citizenship

Part IX (Articles 77-79) - Emergency Powers

Part X (Articles 80-84) - General Provisions

Part XI (Articles 85-100) - Transitional Provisions

External links

• Text of Constitution of Nauru