The Marianas Political Status Commission was a body composed of representatives of the Northern Mariana Islands who negotiated the
political status In sociology and international law three categories of political status are usually recognized:The Concise Encyclopedia of Sociology', 122 (Wiley, 2010, George Ritzer and J. Michael Ryan eds.).
#Independent nations e.g.: France, Canada
#Autonomous ...
of the
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States consistin ...
from December 1972 until February 1975.
The Commission negotiated with a delegation from the
U.S. federal government
The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States.
The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...
, led by the Personal Representative of the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, Ambassador
F. Haydn Williams, during talks which spanned 27 months.
[ The negotiations resulted in the ''Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America''.][ The agreement was unanimously passed by the Mariana Islands District's legislature of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on February 17, 1975. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands approved the proposal in a plebiscite held on June 17, 1975, with 78.8% voting in favor of the Covenant.][
The ]United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
approved the Covenant on July 21, 1975, which was subsequently approved by the United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on February 24, 1976.[ President ]Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
signed the bill, known as Public Law 94-241 (90 Stat. 263), into law on March 24, 1976, establishing the Covenant with the Northern Mariana Islands.[
]
Members of the Commission
* Chairman: Edward D.L.G. Pangelinan[
* Vice Chairman: Vicente N. Santos][
* Members of the Marianas Political Status Commission][
** Juan LG. Cabrera
** Vicente T. Camacho
** Jose R. Cruz
** Bernard V. Hofschneider
** Benjamin Manglona
** Daniel T. Muña
** Dr. Francisco T. Palacios
** Joaquin Pangelinan
** Manuel A. Sablan
** Joannes B. Taimanao
** Pedro Agulto Tenorio
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marianas Political Status Commission
History of the Northern Mariana Islands
Government of the Northern Mariana Islands