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... was drafted by thirty-nine elected delegates meeting in
a constitutional convention on Saipan in 1976. Their proposed
constitution was subsequently ratified by Northern Mariana
Islands voters on March 6, 1977, and became effective January
9, 1978. The original ratified 1976 Constitution (unamended)
and the latest Constitution (with amendments and case annotations)
is reprinted in the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth
Code and is also sold in pamphlet format by the Commonwealth
Law Revision Commision.
Many provisions of the Commonwealth Constitution are mandated
by the Covenant, including the
bill of rights in Article I, the separate executive, legislative
and judicial branches established in Articles II, III and
IV, and the provision in Article XII restricting acquisition
of long-term interests in land to persons of Northern Marianas
descent.
Proposed Constitutional amendments must be ratified by Commonwealth
voters. The procedure for
adopting amendments is specified in the Constitution.
See Article XVIII. As of May 2005, voters have ratified
fifty-two proposed amendments. A brief history of amendments
follows:
In 1985, voters ratified forty-four amendments proposed by
a second constitutional convention that convened that year.
(One 1985 amendment, concerning Section 8 of the Constitution's
Schedule on Transitional Matters, was subsequently ruled invalid
in a legal challenge.)
In 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, and 1999 voters ratified a
total of eight amendments proposed by legislative initiative.
Prior to November 1999, twenty-one proposed amendments failed
to win approval from voters, including nineteen amendments
proposed by a third constitutional convention that convened
in 1995 (which were voted upon in a special election held
in March 1996), an amendment proposed by popular initiative
in 1989, and an amendment proposed by legislative initiative
in 1995.
To view a particular article or the preamble of the Constitution
click on the appropriate link below:
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