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|background_color    =  
|background_color    =  
| name              = Mava Council
| name              = Mava Council
| native_name        = {{nobold|Maava Taapiit}}
| native_name        = {{nobold|Taapiit Maava}}
| legislature        =  
| legislature        =  
| coa_pic            = [[File:Coat of Arms of Mava.png|100px]]
| coa_pic            = [[File:Emblem of Mava.png|125px]]
| coa_res            = 125px
| coa_alt            = Emblem of Mava
| coa_caption        = [[Flag and emblem of Mava|Emblem of Mava]]
| logo_pic          = [[File:Logo of Mava Council.png|200px]]
| logo_res          = 200px
| logo_alt          = Logo of Mava Council
| logo_caption      = Logo of Mava Council
| house_type        = Unicameral
| house_type        = Unicameral
| leader1_type      = Administrator of Mava
| leader3_type      = Leader of the Council
| leader1            = Asamak Umaakasarmuk
| leader3            = [[Kausaanek Malaati]]
| party1            =
| election1          = 19 August 2021
| leader2_type      = Chairman
| leader2            = Taarjut Niunak
| party2            =
| election2          = 22 May 2023
| leader3_type      = Leader
| leader3            = Kausaanek Malaati
| party3            =  
| party3            =  
| election3          = 22 March 2023
| election3          = 22 March 2023
| members            = 10
| members            = 16


| structure1        = File:Mavean_Parliament_2023.png
| structure1        = File:Mava Council composition.png
| structure1_res    = 250px
| structure1_res    = 250px
| structure1_alt    = Structure of the House of Representatives
| structure1_alt    = Composition of the Mava Council
| political_groups1  = {{legend|#999999|Nonpartisan: 10 seats}}
| political_groups1  = {{legend|#888888|Nonpartisan: 16 seats}}
| committees1        =
| committees1        =
| committees2        =
| committees2        =
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}}
}}
{{Politics of Mava}}
{{Politics of Mava}}
Mava Council is the unicameral legislature of the [[Atitlan|Atitlanese]] unincorporated territorial area of [[Mava]]. The Council was established in 1956 as an advisory body, serving alongside the Governor's Council until the latter's abolition in 1967. The council became the island's legislature in 1972 when the islands assumed self-government, with its powers expanding under the 2009 constitution.
'''Mava Council''' ([[Mavean language|Mavean]]: ''Taapiit Maava''; "Council of Mava"), officially the '''Council of the Mava Islands''', is the unicameral legislature of the [[Atitlan|Atitlanese]] unincorporated territory of [[Mava]]. The Council was established in 1929 with limited powers, assuming its present status and responsibilities in 1960.


The Mava Council consists of ten elected members, plus a number of non-voting attendants appointed by the Chairman with the council's approval. Attendants do not have speaking or voting rights and sit as observers. The Leader of the Council is elected to lead a cabinet of councillors that functions as the executive branch.
The Mava Council consists of sixteen elected members, with a select number of non-voting attendants able to sit at the council's pleasure. Attendants do not have speaking or voting rights and sit as observers. The [[List of leaders of Mava|Leader of the Council]] is elected to preside over the Council's sessions and lead an Executive Board that functions as the cabinet.


==History==
==History==
The Parliament of Mava was created on 1 April 1925 through the Mavean Independence Act, passed by the Atitlanese Congress. The members were carried over from the membership of the Legislative Council, which had served as the appointed advisory body to the colonial governor. Under the interim provisions, Mava was governed by a Transitional Government of the Parliament, appointed by Parliament to govern until elections could be held. The first elections were held on 14 May 1925, with Kuraava Tanigak appointed president by Parliament. The body was made permanent following the passage of the first Mavean constitution in September 1925, with the division of its powers between the newly established Nominated Assembly and Legislative Assembly.
The Mava Council was established in 1929 with limited powers over planning applications, cultural matters, and some law enforcement. It was created at the instigation of the governor, Francisco Jose Valladares, in order to alleviate anger at the continued exclusion of native Maveans. The body was initially appointed by the governor, but became fully elected in 1935.


The 1943 constitution radically increased the powers of parliament, transforming Mava from a presidential to a parliamentary republic. The prime minister, a member of the Legislative Assembly, formally became head of government and answerable to the Legislative Assembly rather than the president. The Legislative Assembly also assumed powers to dismiss governments with the abolition of the assembly-independent system, and its members became the sole initiators of legislation, with the president previously able to propose bills. The Nominated Assembly had its power of veto removed, now only able to recommend amendments and supervise the drafting of laws. It remains responsible for ensuring the legality of any laws passed in the lower house.
In 1960, the Law on the Status of Mava formalised the islands' political status and granted the Council full powers equal to (and in some cases exceeding) those of state congresses. At the same time, the Council assumed the authority of electing a Leader to serve as the island's head of government, and of approving the Executive Board to coordinate government policy.


Under the 1943 constitution, the president of the parliament appointed a "Grand Committee of the National Parliament", composed of members of both houses appointed for the purpose of electing the president and approving the nominations of judges and other officials. The body was abolished in 1994; an Electoral College was created to elect the president, whilst responsibility for approving nominations was transferred to the House of Representatives.
==Electoral system==
The sixteen seats in the Mava Council are elected every three years, with eight seats elected at a given time. Councillors are elected by first-past-the-post plurality-at-large voting, with voters allowed to cast as many votes as there are available seats. The candidates with the most votes are elected to fill the vacant seats. Should a seat become vacant between elections, the seat goes to the candidate with the next largest vote share.


==Powers and procedure==
If there are fewer candidates than there are available seats, they are declared to have been elected automatically. The unfilled seats remain vacant until a sufficient number of candidates have declared their intention to fill them. At this point, a by-election is held to fill those seats.
The Assembly is the legislative arm of the confederal government and is one of the "Organs of the Confederation." The body has authority to legislative in a specified field of competences known as "transferred responsibilities." These responsibilities are those areas of policymaking that the jurisdictional parliaments have voluntarily agreed to transfer to confederal competence, with any laws made in the Assembly applying without qualification across the whole confederation. Responsibilities under the authority of the confederal assembly include national security, trade and customs, foreign policy, and fiscal and monetary policy. There are also matters which the Assembly may legislate on in consultation with and with the consent of the jurisdictions, including healthcare, transport, and education. In reality, these "consultative competences" are far more centralised.


The Assembly also has responsibility for electing the Government Council - the executive arm of the confederal government. The Chairman of the Government Council (the prime minister) is elected by the Assembly, usually as the leader of the largest party. The Assembly then elects seven other members to serve in the council, with the requirement that there be two members from each jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of the Assembly to then approve the allocation of ministerial responsibilities to these members.
==Powers and functions==
The council derives its powers principally from the aw on the Status of Mava 1960 and the Organic Statute of Mava 1961 (which serves as the islands' constitution). It as 'general power of competence' over all policy areas under the authority of the local government, i.e. it is permitted to act in any matter whatsoever which does not conflict with or undermine the actions or interests of the [[Atitlan|Atitlanese government]] or other parties. The main responsibilitiy of the council is to provide for "the peace, order and good government of the Mava Islands," and to enact laws for the achievement of this.


The President of the Assembly is the presiding officer and is elected at the same time as other confederal officers. The president is responsible for ensuring good conduct amongst members, directing the proceedings of the house, and maintaining order. They are assisted by a vice president. The President and Vice President are usually drawn from the largest and second-largest parties respectively, although this is only a convention.
All bills must be proposed for debate in the Council, although no councillor may propose a bill altering the powers of the Atitlanese government without the Governor's leave. As part of the council's consensus-based decision making, bills are generally debated to achieve consensus, with amendments seeking broad agreement amongst all councillors. The Leader, who normally does not participate in votes, may cast a vote in the event of a tie.


To ensure that the wishes of all jurisdictions are respected, members are divided into "jurisdictional delegations." All matters put before the assembly require a majority of members of each delegation rather than a simple overall majority. For an ordinary law (A1) to be approved, a majority of each delegation is required; a constitutional amendment (A2) requires two-thirds of each delegation.
The council has the power to pass two types of legislation: ordinances and regulations. Ordinances are the equivalent of legislative acts and constitute the majority of legislation passed in the council. Under the Law on the Status of Mava and the subsequent Organic Statute of Mava, council ordinances are recognised as having the same authority as federal acts in matters delegated to the local government. Ordinances are officially referred to in law as an "Ordinance under Section 31 of the Organic Statute of Mava" or a "Section 31 Ordinance." Regulations govern the procedures and rules of government bodies (including the council) and have little relevance to the public aside from in their interactions with these bodies.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;
Councillors are also responsible for the election of the Executive Board, which serves as the executive branch of the government. The Executive Board is officially a committee of the council and answerable to it. It has the sole authority to appoint or dismiss a member of the Executive Board, usually done at the request of the Leader of the Council.
|-
! rowspan=2| Jurisdiction !! rowspan=2| Number of votes !! colspan=2| Minimum votes required
|-
! A1
! A2
|-
| North Mava || 27 || 14 || 18
|-
| South Mava || 20 || 10 || 14
|-
| Tokuksiagak || 11 || 6 || 8
|-
| Taak || 7 || 4 || 5
|}


==Committees==
==Committees==
The Assembly has a number of joint committees that draw membership from both houses. There are currently 11 committees, the majority of which correspond with government departments:
The Council has three committees responsible for scrutinising the government and studying and making recommendations on 'matters of general concern'. These are:
* Committee on Finance and the Economy
* Committee on Foreign Affairs
* Committee on Public Security
* Committee on Public Health, Sport, and Fitness
* Committee on Education, Culture, and Youth
* Committee on the Environment
* Committee on Justice
* Committee on Administration
* Committee on Media and Youth
* Committee on Equality and Integration
* Committee on Fisheries and Employment


==Elections==
* Administrative Committee - responsible for overseeing the administration of the Council, the management of properties, and making recommendations on the incorporation of Atitlanese law.
General elections occur whenever the assembly is dissolved. Dissolutions occur automatically two years from the date of the first meeting, although it is common for dissolutions to occur in March, at least six weeks prior to the date of the next election. Elections are usually held in the second week of May (generally a Thursday), following an electoral campaign of no less than 35 days. Candidates are generally nominated by political parties, although a small number of independent candidates have won seats.


Candidates are required to file a nomination paper bearing the signatures of at least 50 constituents. Each constituency returns two or more members of Parliament using the block voting electoral system, in which voters may cast as many votes as there are available seats, with a simple plurality required. To stand as and vote for a candidate, one must be a Mavean citizen and at least eighteenth years of age. Additional eligibility requirements are imposed on electoral candidates.
* Technical, Industrial, and Business Committee - responsible for oversight in matters pertaining to electricity and heating, fire and rescue, technical services, planning and development, business and enterprise, and transport.
* Civil Society, Culture, and Public Services Committee - responsible for oversight in matters pertaining to the promotion of Mavean culture, encouraging cooperation between ethnic and linguistic groups, public amenities and open spaces, and emergency services.
* Control Committee - responsible for auditing the government.


Members serve a two year term. Should a member die, resign, or otherwise cease to hold their seat, a by-election is held in the relevant constituency under the same rules and procedures as in general elections. Individuals expelled by the Assembly are not permitted to run in the following by-election, although they may be a candidate in the next general election (even if no subsequent by-election is held).
==Oath of office==
 
Councillors, on their election, are required to make the following oath or affirmation.
===Constituencies===
{{blockquote|I, [Name], having been elected to Mava Council, declare that I take that office upon myself, and will duly and faithflly fulfill the duties of it according to the best of my judgement and ability, and according to law.}}
61 members are returned from multi-member constituencies. Each district is divided into a number of constituencies based on their population, each returning an allocated number of members. The distribution of constituencies is reviewed every ten years by the Mavean Elections Office, with a requirement that each seat represents between 750 and 1,250 people.
Failure to do so prevents them from taking their seats and receiving a salary, and are automatically declared "un-elected" sixty days from the first meeting of the Council.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!District !! Seats !! MPs
|-
| Aasqaalet || 3 || 11
|-
| Miilep || 2 || 5
|-
| Paas || 8 || 21
|-
| Pmaak || 4 || 9
|-
| Kungaatiibisa || 1 || 2
|-
| Taagokiajut || 1 || 3
|-
| Sigaak || 2 || 5
|-
| Saayup || 1 || 3
|-
| Taak || 1 || 2
|-
|}
The current set of constituency boundaries came into effect ahead of the May 2015 parliamentary elections. Prior to this, Paas had 25 seats, which were re-allocated to Aasqaalet and Pmaak.
 
===2023 election===
{{Election results
|+ Summary of the 12 May 2022 parliamentary elections results
|-
|image=[[File:Mavean Parliament 2023.png|360px]]
 
|party1=Anuvik
|votes1=14291
|seats1=39
|sw1=-1.21
|sc1=0
|color1=#4f819d
 
|party2=Kiikalakki
|votes2=11102
|seats2=15
|sw2=+4.33
|sc2=+1
|color2=#9b1d3a
 
|party3=Yaavki
|votes3=3755
|seats3=5
|sw3=-1.71
|sc3=+1
|color3=#ffa200
 
|party4=Maava Naigaalu
|votes4=1921
|seats4=0
|sw4=-1.24
|sc4=-1
|color4=#316b7f
 
|party5=Independents
|votes5=3920
|seats5=2
|sw5=-0.17
|sc5=-2
|color5=#dcdcdc
 
|total_sc=0
 
|valid=31989
|invalid=491
|electorate=51072
|source=Mavean Elections Office
}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 184: Line 86:


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://i.imgur.com/LJrd3HN.jpg/ National Parliament of Mava]. aawnuhiuakak.mv
* [https://i.imgur.com/LJrd3HN.jpg/ Mava Council]. maava.mv/an/council


{{Elezia}}
{{Elezia}}
[[Category:Mava]]
[[Category:Mava]]

Latest revision as of 19:25, 21 May 2024

Mava Council

Taapiit Maava
Emblem of Mava.png
Emblem of Mava
Logo of Mava Council.png
Logo of Mava Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Leader of the Council
Kausaanek Malaati
since 22 March 2023
Structure
Seats16
Composition of the Mava Council
Political groups
  Nonpartisan: 16 seats
Elections
Block voting
Last election
11 May 2023
Next election
before 8 May 2025
Meeting place
Maavaakitat, Paas, Mava
Website
Mava
Emblem of Mava.png
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Mava
  • Monarch
    • Macuilxochitzin
  • Representative
    • Jose Miguel Artigas
  • Leader of the Council
  • Chief Magistrate
    • Alujut Saujak
  • Recent elections
    • Legislative: 2000
    • 2004
    • 2008

    • 2012
    • 2016
    • 2019
    • 2023
    • Next
    • Referendums: 1996

Mava Council (Mavean: Taapiit Maava; "Council of Mava"), officially the Council of the Mava Islands, is the unicameral legislature of the Atitlanese unincorporated territory of Mava. The Council was established in 1929 with limited powers, assuming its present status and responsibilities in 1960.

The Mava Council consists of sixteen elected members, with a select number of non-voting attendants able to sit at the council's pleasure. Attendants do not have speaking or voting rights and sit as observers. The Leader of the Council is elected to preside over the Council's sessions and lead an Executive Board that functions as the cabinet.

History

The Mava Council was established in 1929 with limited powers over planning applications, cultural matters, and some law enforcement. It was created at the instigation of the governor, Francisco Jose Valladares, in order to alleviate anger at the continued exclusion of native Maveans. The body was initially appointed by the governor, but became fully elected in 1935.

In 1960, the Law on the Status of Mava formalised the islands' political status and granted the Council full powers equal to (and in some cases exceeding) those of state congresses. At the same time, the Council assumed the authority of electing a Leader to serve as the island's head of government, and of approving the Executive Board to coordinate government policy.

Electoral system

The sixteen seats in the Mava Council are elected every three years, with eight seats elected at a given time. Councillors are elected by first-past-the-post plurality-at-large voting, with voters allowed to cast as many votes as there are available seats. The candidates with the most votes are elected to fill the vacant seats. Should a seat become vacant between elections, the seat goes to the candidate with the next largest vote share.

If there are fewer candidates than there are available seats, they are declared to have been elected automatically. The unfilled seats remain vacant until a sufficient number of candidates have declared their intention to fill them. At this point, a by-election is held to fill those seats.

Powers and functions

The council derives its powers principally from the aw on the Status of Mava 1960 and the Organic Statute of Mava 1961 (which serves as the islands' constitution). It as 'general power of competence' over all policy areas under the authority of the local government, i.e. it is permitted to act in any matter whatsoever which does not conflict with or undermine the actions or interests of the Atitlanese government or other parties. The main responsibilitiy of the council is to provide for "the peace, order and good government of the Mava Islands," and to enact laws for the achievement of this.

All bills must be proposed for debate in the Council, although no councillor may propose a bill altering the powers of the Atitlanese government without the Governor's leave. As part of the council's consensus-based decision making, bills are generally debated to achieve consensus, with amendments seeking broad agreement amongst all councillors. The Leader, who normally does not participate in votes, may cast a vote in the event of a tie.

The council has the power to pass two types of legislation: ordinances and regulations. Ordinances are the equivalent of legislative acts and constitute the majority of legislation passed in the council. Under the Law on the Status of Mava and the subsequent Organic Statute of Mava, council ordinances are recognised as having the same authority as federal acts in matters delegated to the local government. Ordinances are officially referred to in law as an "Ordinance under Section 31 of the Organic Statute of Mava" or a "Section 31 Ordinance." Regulations govern the procedures and rules of government bodies (including the council) and have little relevance to the public aside from in their interactions with these bodies.

Councillors are also responsible for the election of the Executive Board, which serves as the executive branch of the government. The Executive Board is officially a committee of the council and answerable to it. It has the sole authority to appoint or dismiss a member of the Executive Board, usually done at the request of the Leader of the Council.

Committees

The Council has three committees responsible for scrutinising the government and studying and making recommendations on 'matters of general concern'. These are:

  • Administrative Committee - responsible for overseeing the administration of the Council, the management of properties, and making recommendations on the incorporation of Atitlanese law.
  • Technical, Industrial, and Business Committee - responsible for oversight in matters pertaining to electricity and heating, fire and rescue, technical services, planning and development, business and enterprise, and transport.
  • Civil Society, Culture, and Public Services Committee - responsible for oversight in matters pertaining to the promotion of Mavean culture, encouraging cooperation between ethnic and linguistic groups, public amenities and open spaces, and emergency services.
  • Control Committee - responsible for auditing the government.

Oath of office

Councillors, on their election, are required to make the following oath or affirmation.

I, [Name], having been elected to Mava Council, declare that I take that office upon myself, and will duly and faithflly fulfill the duties of it according to the best of my judgement and ability, and according to law.

Failure to do so prevents them from taking their seats and receiving a salary, and are automatically declared "un-elected" sixty days from the first meeting of the Council.

See also

Notes

External links

Retrieved from "https://iiwiki.us/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mava_Council&oldid=804146"