Marshall Islands - Government

The Marshall Islands is an independent republic. The constitution effective on 1 May 1979 incorporates a blend of the British and American constitutional concepts. It provides for three main branches of government: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.

Legislative power is vested in the Parliament, known as the Nitijela, which consists of 33 members elected from 24 electoral districts, each corresponding roughly to an atoll. The Council of Iroij (Chiefs) has 12 members, whose main functions are to request reconsideration by the Nitijela of any bill affecting customary law, traditional practice, or land tenure, and to express an opinion to the cabinet on any matter of national concern.

Executive power is vested in the cabinet, headed by the president, who is also head of state. The president serves a four-year term. The president, a member of the Nitijela, is elected by a majority of that assembly. The constitution requires the president to nominate not more than 10 or fewer than 6 members of the Nitijela as ministers. All citizens who have attained the age of 18 are eligible to vote.

After the US trusteeship administration of the Marshall Islands came to an end on 21 October 1986, the governments of the United States and the Marshall Islands entered into a Compact of Free Association which provided defense, economic, technical, trade, and other benefits to the Marshall Islands for an initial period of 15 years that expired in 2001. The provisions of the compact were extended to September 2003, until another arrangement guaranteeing US funding is made.