POHNPEI, Palikir (FSM Information Service): November 8, 2001 – Changing the length of Congressional terms has become the
first proposal introduced in the 3rd FSM Constitutional Convention.
Introduced by Delegate Harry Saymour of Kosrae, who is the Convention Vice
President, Delegate Proposal No. 01-1 has been assigned to the Committee on
Government Structure and Functions. If passed and gets the nod from the
people, the proposal would do away with the current set up of ten members
serving for two years and four members serving for four years, and make all
members of the Congress serve for four years.
According to the introducer, the proposal would reduce costs of elections,
allow for a wider selection pool of eligible candidates to the offices of
the President and Vice President, discourage pork barrel legislation every
two years, reduce government expenditures and allow for continuity in the
membership of the Congress, thereby benefiting the government by promoting
productivity, efficiency and results.
Three other proposals were introduced by the Chuuk Delegation; Delegates
Camillo Noket, Lorin Robert, James Naich, Kasio Mita, Wesley Simina and
Sanphy William. D.P. No. 01-2, which proposes that a non citizen, or a
corporation not wholly owned by FSM citizens, may not acquire title to land
or waters in the FSM; provided that a state may permit by statute a landing
institution to acquire title to land for not more than 25 years when land is
used as security for loan and the borrower defaults upon the loan. D.P.
Nos. 01-3 and 01-4 would create a Judicial Commission whose responsibility
would be to review on a periodic basis the performance of Judges and
recommend at least three applicants for judgeship to the President and,
finally, the President and Vice President to be elected by the people in a
general election every 4 years. The current practice has been that the
President and Vice President of the nation are elected among the four year
at-large members of Congress by the fourteen (14) members of the Congress.
If approved by the Convention and by a general referendum the President and
Vice President of the FSM would have to be elected by the people in the
General Election.
