Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Type
Type	Bicameral
History
Founded	1964
Disbanded	1979
Structure
Length of term	4 years (Senators) 2 years (Representatives)
Meeting place
Saipan

The Congress of Micronesia was a bicameral legislature in Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1979.

History

Congress of Micronesia buildings, Saipan

The Congress was established on 28 September 1964, when the US Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall issued order no. 2882.^[1] It replaced the previous Council of Micronesia, which had been based outside the Trust Territory in Guam.^[2] The first elections were held in January 1965.

The Congress was initially composed of a House of Delegates and General Assembly, which were later renamed the Senate and House of Representatives. The Congress building was burnt down in an arson attack on 20 February 1970.^[3]

Composition

The Senate had 12 members, two from each of the six districts. The House of Representatives had 21 members, with seats apportioned to each district based on their population – five from Truk, four from the Marshall Islands and Ponape, three from the Mariana Islands and Palau and two from Yap.^[4]

Elections were held every two years. Senators served four-year terms, with one Senator elected from each district at each election. All members of the House of Representatives were elected at each election.

Presidents of the upper chamber

The upper chamber of Congress of Micronesia was called House of Delegates, and later Senate.

Name	Took office	Left office	District	Notes
John O. Ngiraked	July 1965	July 1965	Palau	[5]
Tosiwo Nakayama	July 1965	July 1967	Truk	[6]
John O. Ngiraked	July 1967	1969	Palau	[7][8]
Amata Kabua	1969	Jan 1973	Marshall Islands	[9]
Tosiwo Nakayama	Jan 1973	May 1979	Truk	[10]

Speakers of the lower chamber

The lower chamber of Congress of Micronesia was called House of Representatives.

Name	Took office	Left office	District	Notes
Dwight Heine	July 1965	1966	Marshall Islands	[5]
Bethwel Henry	1966	May 1979	Ponape	[11][10]

Elections

• 1965 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1966 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1968 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1970 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1972 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1974 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election
• 1976 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands parliamentary election

See also

• Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia
• Legislature of the Marshall Islands
• Palau National Congress
• List of legislatures by country

References

1. "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands". Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Office of United Nations Political Affairs. January 1, 1964 – via Google Books.
2. Meeting Will Discuss Plans for US Trust Territory Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1962, p143
3. Some Micronesian unity goes up in smoke Pacific Islands Monthly, March 1971, p21
4. Micronesia To Go To Polls Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1964, p13
5. Territory), Pacific Islands (Trust (1965). "Laws and Resolutions, Congress of Micronesia".
6. "001 19741000: 6". www.pacificdigitallibrary.org.
7. "Report to the United Nations on the Administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Transmitted by the United States of America". 1967.
8. "001 19670500: 3". www.pacificdigitallibrary.org.
9. Lal, Brij V.; Fortune, Kate (2000). The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824822651.
10. "Petition from Messrs., Tosiwo Nakayama, President of the Senate and Bethwel Henry, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congress of Micronesia, concerning the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands transmitted to the President of the Trusteeship Council through the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations". United Nations Digital Library System. January 9, 1979.
11. "001 19741000: 2". www.pacificdigitallibrary.org.