TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 11: POLITICAL STATUS
§ 11100. Short Title. This chapter may be cited as the “Second Marianas Political Status Commission Act of 2015.” Source: PL 19-63 § 1 (Aug. 26, 2016), modified. Commission Comment: In addition to savings and severability clauses, PL 19-63 included the following Findings and Purpose sections: Section 2. Findings. The Legislature finds: (a) That United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 permits free association with a, or full and equal integration into another political state, but that these options are subject to strict limitations to prohibit unlawful colonialism. (b) That where a former Trust Territory is not a sovereign independent state, and is not fully and equally integrated into another state, Principle VII of Resolution 1541 requires: (1) That the people of the former Trust Territory have full selfgovernment in internal matters. (2) That those people have the right at all times to modify the political status of the former territory through democratic means. (3) That the terms of the political association be set down in an agreement binding on both parties. (c) That the indigenous people of the Northern Marianas Islands negotiated the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America (referred to in this Act as “the Covenant”), and in the exercise of their right to self-determination as guaranteed by the United Nations, through a plebiscite, approved the Covenant. (d) That on December 22, 1990, the United Nations Security Council terminated the Trusteeship Agreement for the Northern Mariana Islands in United Nations Security Council Resolution 683, thereby giving the Northern Mariana Islands the status of a former trust territory and activating Principle VII of Resolution 1541. (e) That the people desire to reexamine whether continuing in a “Political Union with the United States of America” under the Covenant is in their best interest, or whether some other political status will better enable them to fulfill their hope and aspirations in attaining full and meaningful self-government, as stated by the late U.S. Senator Jacob Javits of the State of New York in the deliberations of the Covenant and as amended. Section 3. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to create the Second Marianas Political Status Commission (Commission), which will have broad authority to review, study, examine, conduct public political education and awareness and all others that may assist the Commission in accomplishing its responsibilities under this Act, which shall include but not limited to:
TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 11: POLITICAL STATUS (a) Examining the present political relationship between the Northern Marianas and the United States; and (b) Determine whether the people of the Northern Mariana Islands are still in favor of continuing in “Political Union with the United States of America” pursuant to the Covenant, and/or preferred some other political status options that would better enable them to fulfill their hope and aspirations of full, meaningful and a well-defined self-government status. In accomplishing such mission the Commission shall: (a) Examine what positions and actions taken by the United States toward the Northern Mariana Islands that may contradict and violates the provisions and spirit of the Covenant, which may upset, or upsetting the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, and (1) Whether such positions and actions taken by the United States are based on their “own” interpretation on how they should implement and enforce the provisions of the Covenant, regardless; and (2) Whether such positions and actions taken by the United States warrant the people of the Northern Mariana Islands to carefully review, and to reconsider their Political Union with the United States of America as established by the Covenant; and (b) Explore and study any and all other alternative political status options that offers a full, meaningful, and a well-defined selfgovernment status that is favorable and acceptable to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands; and (c) Submit its Final Report on such findings and recommendation(s), outlining and describing the political status options to the Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature for their review and approval. (1) After such review and approval, the Legislature shall present such political status option(s) to the Commonwealth Election Commission (CEC). The CEC shall present such political status option(s) to the people of the Northern Marianas Islands who are qualified to vote for their approval or disapproval in a plebiscite as set forth below. (2) The Legislature, in a Joint Legislation Session of the House and Senate, shall, by law or through a Joint Resolution, call for a plebiscite on such political status option(s) and schedule a special election to be conducted ninety (90) working days from the receipt of such recommendations by the Commonwealth Board of Election. The Commission numbered this chapter and section pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(a). The Commission substituted “This chapter” for “This Act” pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(d).