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The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Nitijeļā ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat
constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
. The last election was November 18, 2019. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially
nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...
, but most members of the are affiliated with one of the four active
political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or po ...
in the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
: Aelon Kein Ad (AKA), Kien Eo Am (KEA), United People's Party (UPP), and United Democratic Party (UDP).


History

Bicameral Marshall Islands Congress was established in July 1950. The two chambers were the House of Iroij and the House of Assembly. Kabua Kabua was the president of the House of Iroij in 1953.
Atlan Anien Atlan Anien (January 17, 1920 – 1992) was a speaker of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands. Biography Anien began his education at the US Navy Interpreter School and subsequently went to Goshen College and then the University of Hawaii ...
was the president of the House of Assembly in 1953. The Congress was reformulated as unicameral in 1958. Members were elected for a 4-year term. The congress was chaired by
Atlan Anien Atlan Anien (January 17, 1920 – 1992) was a speaker of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands. Biography Anien began his education at the US Navy Interpreter School and subsequently went to Goshen College and then the University of Hawaii ...
in 1959, Amata Kabua in 1962, and
Dwight Heine Dwight Heine (12 October 1919 – 13 November 1984) was a Marshallese politician. He was both a member and speaker of the Marshall Islands Congress, Congress of Micronesia and the House of Representatives of the Trust Territory of the Pacific I ...
in 1963 and 1964 The legislature, ''Nitijeļā'', was established in its current form in 1979 by the
Constitution of the Marshall Islands The Constitution of the Marshall Islands is the supreme law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in force from 1 May 1979. Its text is both English and Marshallese. The Constitution was approved on 1 March 1979 by constitutional referendum ...
.


Speakers

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


Members of

The twenty-four electoral districts into which the country is divided correspond to the inhabited islands and
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gro ...
s. 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.


Committees

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


Staff

The is supported by various staff.


Clerk of the

The Clerk is the administrative head of the legislature, with authority to approve related matters. The Clerk prepares the 's business and serves as the legislature's secretary, keeping minutes and publishing them. The current Clerk is Morean Watak, and Carl Alik is her Assistant Clerk.


Legislative Counsel

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. The current Legislative Counsel is Joe Lomae.


See also

*
Government 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 (for all citizens above the age of 18), with each of the 24 ...
* Politics of the Marshall Islands * Elections in the Marshall Islands *
Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands The Congress of Micronesia was a bicameral legislature in Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1979. History The Congress was established on 28 September 1964, when the US Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall issued order no. ...
*
List of legislatures by country This is a list of legislatures by country. A "legislature" is the generic name for the national parliaments and congresses that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives and that have the power to legislate. All entities included ...


References


External links

* {{National unicameral legislatures
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
Politics of the Marshall Islands Political organizations based in the Marshall Islands Government of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
1979 establishments in the Marshall Islands