Third FSM Constitutional Convention, November 28, 2001

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Third FSM Constitutional Convention, Day 17

POHNPEI, Palikir (FSM Information Service): November 28, 2001 –
The Committee of the Whole (COW) adopted and recommended
two committee proposals for their passage on Second and Final Reading today,
the 17^th day of the Convention. The two proposals were adopted on First
Reading yesterday. Committee Proposal (C.P.) No. 01-1, requiring that at
least four justices be on the bench of the FSM Supreme Court at all times
and C.P. No. 01-2, to provide that a citizen of the FSM may not be
prohibited from becoming a citizen of another nation, in addition to his FSM
citizenship. The two proposals were on the calendar for Second Reading, but
were deferred to a different date within the 45-day session allotted to the
Convention under the law.

Two other Committee Proposals passed First Reading action. The proposals
were C.P. No. 01-3, to amend Article XIV of the FSM Constitution to extend
the time-frame for submitting to FSM voters the question of whether to have
a constitutional convention or not, from the current 10 years to 15 years;
and C.P No. 01-04, to lower the percentage of votes needed in each State to
adopt amendments to the Constitution from the current three-fourths of the
voters in three-fourths of the States, to two-thirds of the voters in
three-fourths of the States. The two proposals will now go to the
Committee of the Whole (COW) before Second Reading in the Plenary Session of
the Convention. If passed in Second Reading, the proposals would be
considered proposed constitutional amendments for referral to the Style and
Arrangement Committee for stylistic review, followed by the Final Reading
action by the Convention.

Finally, a Resolution, D.R. No. 01-5, by Chuuk Delegate Wesley Simina, was
introduced, calling for the Convention to go into recess from December 2 to
December 9, 2001, for consultations in the States, and for the Convention
session to be extended through December 21, 2001. If passed, the Resolution
would enable the Convention to meet a total of 40 calendar days, or five
days short of the 45 maximum calendar days allowed for both session and
recess, under the law.

As for committee hearings, the Committee on Civil Liberties and Traditions
held public hearing today at 1:30 p.m. at the FSM Department of Foreign
Affairs Conference room. The hearing was on D.P. No. 01-28 and D.P. No. 01-39.

Convention took to recess at 1:35 p.m. and set to reconvene at 11:00
o’clock tomorrow morning.