Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands
Encyclopedia
Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands takes place in a framework of a presidential
representative democratic
system, whereby the Governor is head of government
, and of a pluriform
multi-party system
. The Northern Mariana Islands
are a commonwealth in political union with the United States
. Executive power
is exercised by the governor. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature. Local government
is carried out through three regional mayors.
The Northern Mariana Islands and the United States of America reached a Covenant Agreement which became fully effective on November 4, 1986. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands became effective on January 1, 1978.
|Benigno Fitial
|bgcolor=red|Republican Party
|January 2006
|-
|Lieutenant Governor
|Eloy S. Inos
|bgcolor=green|Covenant Party
|
|}
has two chambers
. The House of Representatives
has 20 members, elected for a two-year term from seven districts. The Senate
has 9 members, elected for a four-year term in two staggered classes.
Prior to January 2009, the Commonwealth maintained an elected "Resident Representative" in Washington, DC. As authorized by , the Commonwealth now elects a nonvoting delegate
to the U.S. Congress
(similar to other U.S. insular areas). The first election was held on November 4, 2008.
; Superior Court; Federal District Court
to the United States Congress. Gregorio "Kilili" Sablan
won the election, and began his term of office in January 2009. The delegate serves as a member to some House committees and may vote in those committees, but the delegate is not permitted to vote on bills up for vote among all members of the House.
, SPC
, Germany
, Japan
, and the United States
under a United Nations
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Agreement. Each power contributed elements that mixed with local indigenous cultures to form the current political culture
of the Northern Mariana Islands.
When United States citizenship
was granted in 1986 to people who qualified as descendants of the Northern Marianas, few among the island's native population had been adequately prepared for democracy
. As a result, politics in the Northern Mariana Islands is often "more a function of family relationships and personal loyalties" where the size of one's extended family is more important than a candidate's personal qualifications. Both scholarly works and the authors of the controversial website Saipansucks.com charge that this is nepotism
carried out within the trappings of democracy.http://worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/oclc/58992651http://www.saipantribune.com/archives/newsstoryarch.aspx?cat=3&newsID=1594&archdte=3/30/1999%2012:00:00%20AM.
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
system, whereby the Governor is head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a pluriform
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. The Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
are a commonwealth in political union with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the governor. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature. Local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
is carried out through three regional mayors.
The Northern Mariana Islands and the United States of America reached a Covenant Agreement which became fully effective on November 4, 1986. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands became effective on January 1, 1978.
Executive branch
|Governor|Benigno Fitial
|bgcolor=red|Republican Party
Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
The Republican Party is a political party in the Northern Mariana Islands. In the 2001 gubernatorial election Juan Babauta of the Republican Party won with 42.8% of the vote...
|January 2006
|-
|Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has a self governing government consisting of a locally elected governor, Lieutenant Governor and the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The current Lieutenant Governor is Eloy Inos, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created when...
|Eloy S. Inos
|bgcolor=green|Covenant Party
Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
The Covenant Party is a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands advocating government and financial reform. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. In the 2005 elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the...
|
|}
Department Level Cabinet Positions
| Department | Head | Political Party | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Finance | Acting Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Larissa Larson |
||
| Department of Community and Cultural Affairs | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Melvin Faiso |
Covenant Party Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands) The Covenant Party is a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands advocating government and financial reform. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. In the 2005 elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the... |
|
| Department of Labor | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Gil M. San Nichols |
||
| Department of Lands and Natural Resources | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Ignacio Dela Cruz |
||
| Department of Commerce | Acting Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Sixto K. Igisomar |
||
| Department of Corrections | Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission .... Ramon C. Mafnas |
||
| Department of Public Works | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Martin C. Sablan |
||
| Department of Public Safety Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency and firefighting agency of the Northern Mariana Islands.The divisions include:* Criminal Investigation Division* Division of Motor Vehicle... |
Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission .... Ramon C. Mafnas |
||
| Office of the Attorney General | Attorney General Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person... Edward Buckingham Edward Buckingham Edward T. Buckingham is the current Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands. He was nominated by Governor Benigno Fitial on August 12, 2009, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate two days later.-External links:* from the NAAG... |
2009 | |
| Department of Public Health | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Joseph Kevin P. Villagomez |
||
| Department of Public Lands | Secretary Minister (government) A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet.... Oscar M. Babatua |
||
| Office of the Public Defender | Public Defender Public defender The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way... Adam Hardwicke |
Sub-cabinet level divisions and offices
| Office or division | Head | Political Party | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Office | Special Assistant for Administration Esther S. Flemings | ||
| Public Information and Protocol Office | Press Secretary Press secretary A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage.... Angel A. Demapan |
||
| Office of Disability Policy and Programs | Special Assistant Thomas J. Camacho | ||
| Liaison Office | |||
| Programs and Legislative Review Offfice | Special Assistant Victoria Guerrero |
Legislative branch
The Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth LegislatureNorthern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature
The Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature is the territorial legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The legislative branch of the territory is bicameral, consisting of a 20-member lower House of Representatives, and an upper house Senate with nine...
has two chambers
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
. The House of Representatives
Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives
The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.In the 2007 election cycle, the CNMI House membership was increased from 18 to 20...
has 20 members, elected for a two-year term from seven districts. The Senate
Northern Mariana Islands Senate
The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts , each a multi-member constituency with three senators.In the November 2007 elections, the three senators up...
has 9 members, elected for a four-year term in two staggered classes.
Prior to January 2009, the Commonwealth maintained an elected "Resident Representative" in Washington, DC. As authorized by , the Commonwealth now elects a nonvoting delegate
Delegate (United States Congress)
A delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory and from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting delegate may vote in a House committee of which the delegate is a member...
to the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
(similar to other U.S. insular areas). The first election was held on November 4, 2008.
Political parties and elections
Judicial branch
Commonwealth Supreme CourtNorthern Mariana Islands Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is the highest court of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , exercising civil and criminal appellate jurisdiction over commonwealth law matters...
; Superior Court; Federal District Court
Federal representation
In November 2008, the Northern Mariana Islands held its first election for a delegateDelegate (United States Congress)
A delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory and from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting delegate may vote in a House committee of which the delegate is a member...
to the United States Congress. Gregorio "Kilili" Sablan
Gregorio Sablan
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan is a Northern Mariana politician and former election commission director. Sablan was elected in 2008 as the first nonvoting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands...
won the election, and began his term of office in January 2009. The delegate serves as a member to some House committees and may vote in those committees, but the delegate is not permitted to vote on bills up for vote among all members of the House.
International organization participation
ESCAP (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau)Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, SPC
Political culture
Historically the Northern Mariana Islands have been subject to the colonizing powers of SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
under a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1986.-History:...
Agreement. Each power contributed elements that mixed with local indigenous cultures to form the current political culture
Political culture
Political culture is the traditional orientation of the citizens of a nation toward politics, affecting their perceptions of political legitimacy.Conceptions...
of the Northern Mariana Islands.
When United States citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
was granted in 1986 to people who qualified as descendants of the Northern Marianas, few among the island's native population had been adequately prepared for democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. As a result, politics in the Northern Mariana Islands is often "more a function of family relationships and personal loyalties" where the size of one's extended family is more important than a candidate's personal qualifications. Both scholarly works and the authors of the controversial website Saipansucks.com charge that this is nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
carried out within the trappings of democracy.http://worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/oclc/58992651http://www.saipantribune.com/archives/newsstoryarch.aspx?cat=3&newsID=1594&archdte=3/30/1999%2012:00:00%20AM.