Proclamation 4534—Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands

On February 15, 1975, the Marianas Political Status Commission, the duly appointed representative of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Personal Representative of the President of the United States signed a Covenant, the purpose of which is to provide for the eventual establishment of a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in political union with the United States of America. This Covenant was subsequently approved by the Mariana Islands District Legislature and by the people of the Northern Mariana Islands voting in a plebiscite. The Covenant was approved by the Congress of the United States by joint resolution approved March 24, 1976 (Public Law 94-241; 90 Stat. 263).

In accordance with the provisions of Article II of the Covenant, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands have formulated and approved a Constitution which was submitted to me on behalf of the Government of the United States on April 21, 1977, for approval on the basis of its consistency with the Covenant and those provisions of the Constitution, treaties and laws of the United States to be applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 202 of the Covenant, the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands will be deemed to have been approved by the Government of the United States six months after the date of submission to the President unless sooner approved or disapproved.

The six-month period of Section 202 of the Covenant having expired on October 22, 1977, I am pleased to announce that the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands is hereby deemed approved.

I am satisfied that the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands complies with the requirements of Article II of the Covenant. I have also received advice from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on National Parks and Insular Affairs of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs that the Constitution complies with those requirements.

Sections 1003(b) and 1004(b) of the Covenant provide that the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands and the provisions specified in Section 1003 (b) of the Covenant shall become effective on a date proclaimed by the President which will be not more than 180 days after the Covenant and the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands have both been approved.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim as follows:

SECTION 1. The Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands shall come into full force and effect at eleven o'clock on the morning of January 9, 1978, Northern Mariana Islands local time.

SEC. 2. Sections 102, 103, 204, 304, Article IV, Sections 501, 502, 505, 601-605, 607, Article VII, Sections 802-805, 901 and 902 of the Covenant shall come into full force and effect on the date and at the time specified in Section 1 of this Proclamation.

SEC. 3. The authority of the President under Section 1004 of the Covenant to suspend the application of any provision of law to or in the Northern Mariana Islands until the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement is hereby reserved.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and second.

JIMMY CARTER