The Nitijela (Marshallese: Nitijeļā [nʲidˠiːzʲɛlˠæ]) is the legislature of the Marshall Islands. It has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was 20 November 2023. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpartisan, but most members of the Nitijeļā are affiliated with one of the four active political parties in the Marshall Islands: Aelon Kein Ad (AKA), Kien Eo Am (KEA), United People's Party (UPP), and United Democratic Party (UDP).
Nitijela Nitijeļā | |
|---|---|
| 46th Constitutional Regular Session | |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
| History | |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Brenson Wase since 3 January 2024 |
Vice Speaker | Issac Zacharias since 3 January 2024 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 33 members |
Political groups | Independent (33) |
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
Voting system | Single and multi-seat constituencies |
Last election | 20 November 2023 |
Next election | 15 November 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Nitijeļā, Marshall Islands Parliament, Majuro | |
| Website | |
| rmiparliament | |
History
A bicameral Marshall Islands Congress was established in July 1950. The two chambers were the House of Iroij and the House of Assembly. Kabua Kabua was the president of the House of Iroij in 1953. Atlan Anien was the president of the House of Assembly in 1953.
The Congress was reformulated as unicameral in 1958. Members were elected for a 4-year term. The congress was chaired by Atlan Anien in 1959, Amata Kabua in 1962, and Dwight Heine in 1963 and 1964.
The legislature, Nitijeļā, was established in its current form in 1979 by the Constitution of the Marshall Islands.
2025 parliament building fire
On 26 August 2025, the parliament building, library and archives were destroyed in a fire. Half of the building was burned down, while the other half remains in an unusable state. The fire started around midnight or shortly after on the morning of the 26th, and the building was fully covered in flames by the time a fire truck arrived. A Marshallese government spokesperson stated that early signs indicate that the fire could have originated from a container trailer stationed next to the building. According to former health secretary Jack Niedenthal, local firefighters lack resources and were not equipped to handle large fires. RNZ reported that the Marshallese fire department is "pretty nonexistent" besides an airport firefighter team, which was unable to arrive at the building "for over an hour".
As the fire occurred while the legislature is in session, the legislature was left without a place to meet. In the following days, it was announced that the legislature would resume session the next week, temporarily using the International Conference Center building in Majuro. Many files were not backed up and, according to RNZ, "it would take people weeks to figure out what they had lost and what they could access." It was confirmed that documents of historical significance, such as the history of the first constitutional convention of the Marshall Islands, as well as original copies of early laws passed by the Nitijeļā, were destroyed.
In response to the fire, Taiwan stated that it will "provide necessary assistance in a timely manner." Marshallese president Hilda Heine announced that her cabinet approved a plan to begin construction on a new parliament building by the end of 2025, taking priority over previous plans to construct a new capital facility. Amata Coleman Radewagen, the US House of Representatives delegate for American Samoa, promised to lobby the US government to provide assistance.
Speakers
The salary of the speaker is set to US$35,000 annually.
| Name | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atlan Anien | 1979–1988 | |
| Kessai Note | 1988–1999 | |
| Litokwa Tomeing | January 10, 2000 – 2007 | |
| Jurelang Zedkaia | January 7, 2008 – October 26, 2009 | |
| Alvin Jacklick | November 2, 2009 – January 7, 2012 | |
| Donald Capelle | January 7, 2012 – January 4, 2016 | |
| Kenneth Kedi | January 4, 2016 – January 3, 2024 | |
| Brenson Wase | January 3, 2024 – Incumbent |
Members of Nitijeļā
The twenty-four electoral districts into which the country is divided correspond to the inhabited islands and atolls. There are four political parties in the Marshall Islands: Aelon Kein Ad (AKA), Kien Eo Am (KEA), United People's Party (UPP), and United Democratic Party (UDP). Control is shared by the AKA and the KEA.
| Constituency | Member | Title | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailinglaplap Atoll | Alfred Alfred Jr. | Minister of Resources and Development | KEA |
| Christopher Loeak | Senator, former president (2012–2015) | AKA | |
| Ailuk Atoll | Maynard Alfred | Senator | KEA |
| Arno Atoll | Jejwarick Anton | Vice Speaker | KEA |
| Mike Halferty | Minister of Transportation and Communication | Ind. | |
| Aur Atoll | Hilda Heine | Senator, former president (2016–2020) | Ind. |
| Ebon Atoll | John Silk | Minister of Foreign Affairs | KEA |
| Enewetak Atoll | Jack Ading | Senator | AKA |
| Jabat Island | Kessai Note | Senator, former president (2000–2007) | UDP |
| Jaluit Atoll | Daisy Alik-Momotaro | Senator | Ind. |
| Casten Nemra | Senator, former president (2016) | Ind. | |
| Kili Island | Eldon Note | Senator | UDP |
| Kwajalein Atoll | Alvin Jacklick | Senator | KEA |
| Michael Kabua | Senator | AKA | |
| David Paul | Minister in Assistance to the President | KEA | |
| Lae Atoll | Thomas Heine | Minister of Justice | AKA |
| Lib Island | Joe Bejang | Senator | AKA |
| Likiep Atoll | Leander Leander Jr. | Senator | AKA |
| Majuro Atoll | Kalani Kaneko | Minister of Health | KEA |
| David Kramer | Senator | KEA | |
| Tony Muller | Minister of Public Works | KEA | |
| Sherwood Tibon | Senator | KEA | |
| Brenson Wase | Minister of Finance | KEA | |
| Maloelap Atoll | Bruce Bilimon | Senator | AKA |
| Mejit Island | Dennis Momotaro | Senator | UPP |
| Mili Atoll | Wilbur Heine | Minister of Education | AKA |
| Namdrik Atoll | Wisely Zackhras | Senator | UDP |
| Namu Atoll | Tony Aiseia | Senator | AKA |
| Rongelap Atoll | Kenneth Kedi | Speaker | KEA |
| Ujae Atoll | Atbi Riklon | Senator | AKA |
| Utirik Atoll | Amenta Matthew | Minister of Internal Affairs | KEA |
| Wotho Atoll | David Kabua | President | AKA |
| Wotje Atoll | Litokwa Tomeing | Senator, former President | UPP |
Committees
The Nitijeļā has 7 permanent standing committees with oversight authority and legislative authority. All committees have 9 members.
| Committee | Chair | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriation | Casten Nemra | considers and reports on all legislation relating to public expenditure or financial administration, both federal and local, including budget estimates and supplementary estimates referred to it |
| Public Accounts | Bruce Bilimon | considers the public funds and account of the Marshall Islands, in conjunction with the report of the Auditor-General on them; reports to the Nitijeļā any excess/unauthorized expenditures and the reasoning for it; proposes any legislation it deems necessary to ensure public funds are properly and efficiently spent and accounted for; reports to the Nitijeļā on any audit of public accounts |
| Health, Education, and Social Affairs | Alvin Jacklick | considers all legislation relating to the education, health, condition of labor, and well-being of the people of the Marshall Islands |
| Ways and Means | Sherwood Tibon | considers all legislation relating to the revenue of the federal and local governments, including matters relating to the administration of revenue laws |
| Judiciary and Governmental Relations | Daisy Alik-Momotaro | |
| Resources and Development | David Kramer | |
| Foreign Affairs and Trade | Maynard Alfred |
Staff
The Nitijeļā is supported by various staff.
Clerk of the Nitijeļā
The clerk is the administrative head of the legislature, with authority to approve related matters. The clerk prepares the Nitijeļā's business and serves as the legislature's secretary, keeping minutes and publishing them.
The current clerk is Morean Watak, and Carl Alik is her assistant clerk.
Legislative Counsel
The Office of the Legislative Counsel was established in 1981. The office provides legal advice to MPs and the speaker, as well as providing legislative drafting services. The legislative counsel also serves as the Commissioner of the Marshall Islands Revised Code if the Cabinet has not appointed a commissioner.
The current legislative counsel is Joe Lomae.
See also
- Government of the Marshall Islands
- Politics of the Marshall Islands
- Elections in the Marshall Islands
- Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
- List of legislatures by country
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