{{short description|Head of government of Mava since 2023}}
{{Short description|Mavean politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
| honorific-prefix =
|name = Kausaanek Malaati
| name = Kausaanek Malaati
|honorific-suffix =
| image =
| native_name = {{nobold|Iipaatoklipiittanit}}
| caption =
|image = [[File:Kausaanek Malaati in 2021.jpg|Kausaanek Malaati in 2021|220px]]
| office = 10th [[List of leaders of Mava|Leader of Mava Council]]
|caption = Kausaanek in 2021
| term_start = 22 March 2023
| office = [[Leader of the Mava Council]]
| term_end =
| term_start = 22 March 2023
| monarch =
| term_end =
| governor = Tomas Rabellino
| president =
| predecessor = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| deputy = Anaayak Nelagak
| successor =
| predecessor = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| office1 = Member of the [[Mava Council]]
| term_start1 = 9 May 1997
| office1 = Advocate General
| predecessor1 =
| term_start1 = 19 May 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|8|10|df=y}}
| term_end1 = 22 May 2023
| birth_place = Paas, [[Mava]]
| predecessor1 = Saatamaq Nelek
| successor1 = Tilurut Qurlivitaneq
| office2 = Member of the [[Mava Council]]
| term_start2 = 9 May 1997
| predecessor2 =
|birth_name = Kausaanek Salaaq Malaati
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|8|10|df=y}}
|birth_place = Paas, [[Mava]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|alma_mater = University of Chalatenango (LLM)
|party = Independent
|spouse =
|children =
}}
}}
'''Kausaanek Salaaq Malaati''' [[Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_Mava#Order_of_the_Buttercup|KTP]] SMA (/koʊsaːnek salaːk malaːti/; born 10 August 1952), also known by his ''laaskoila'' '''Iipaatoklipiittanit''' (<small>lit.</small> "Miracle Child") is a [[Mava|Mavean]] politician serving as the [[Chairman of the Government Council of Mava|Chairman of the Government Council]] and Leader of Anuvik since 2023. He previously served as Minister of Justice under the chairmanship of Paqtuq Maagamarakk, and has been a Member of the Assembly of the Islands for Aasqaalet's 1st Constituency since 1997. He is the oldest person to assume the office of chairman, having done so at the age of 70.
'''Kausaanek Salaaq Malaati''' (/koʊsaːnek salaːk malaːti/; born 10 August 1952) is a [[Mava|Mavean]] politician who currently serves as [[List of leaders of Mava|Leader of Mava Council]] since March 2023. He previously served in the Mava Council Cabinet, with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Community Safety. He has been a member of Mava Council since 1997, and is currently the longest-serving counillor.
Kausaanek was born in Paas in North Mava and was educated in Mava and [[Atitlan]]. He studied law at the University of Mava, graduating with an LLM in 1974 and a DPhil in 1983. After graduating, he entered academia as an associate professor in law at the University of Mava, specialising in constitutional law. In 1986, he became Professor of Constitutional Law, and became a visiting professor in law at the University of Chalatenango in 1992. In 1995 he was a candidate for president, but withdrew before voting.
Kausaanek was elected to the Assembly in 1997, representing Aasqaalet's 1st Constituency. He served as a member of the assembly's justice committee before his appointment as Minister of Justice in 2019, during which time he earned a reputation as a pragmatic, non-ideological figure. On the resignation of Paqtuq Maagamarak following a criminal conviction, Kausaanek was elected to succeed him as leader of Anuvik and, following this, as chairman of the council. His election was initially seen as a short-term arrangement, but Anuvik's electoral victory in the 2023 general election confirmed his position. As council chairman, he has established himself as a liberal figure, supporting changes to Mava's abortion law and efforts to improve LGBT rights..
Kausaanek is the oldest person to hold the office of Leader, having assumed the office aged 70.
==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Kausaanek was born on 10 August 1952 to Malaati Kaaganatak and Amuniq Ikinqipaagmik. Malaati was a local lawyer and commissioner of the peace, who was a legal advisor to the local district government. He had met his wife, Amuniq, when she worked as a clerk for the Pmaak City and District Council, and married after a short six-month courtship. Kausaanek was born in Pmaak and moved with his family to Aasqaalet six months later. He was educated at Maqtaniik Community School and Aasqaalet District College, before enrolling at the University of Mava. In 1974, he graduated with a LLM and worked as a solicitor apprentice with Kaatanok & Uusiavak (K&U). In his final year of apprenticeship, K&U funded his doctorate, which he completed in 1983 at the University of Chalatenango. His thesis, "Nationbuilding and the Birth of the Mavean Constitution" was subsequently published and has gone through numerous editions.
Kausaanek was born on 10 August 1952 to Malaati Kaaganatak and Amuniq Ikinqipaagmik. Malaati was a general practitioner, whilst his mother was a teacher before leaving employment to raise a family. His parents met when his mother was a patient of his father, having married after a short courtship. Kausaanek was educated at Paas Catholic School and Mava College, before enrolling at the University of Chalatenango - the first in his family to go to university. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in social and behavioral sciences. In 1975, also at Chalatenango, he earned his teaching qualifications.
==Before politics==
After receiving his doctorate, he became a post-doctoral fellow at Chalatenango, focussing on public understanding of constitutional systems and their relationship with their political systems. In 1986 he became a lecturer at Chalatenango, eventually becoming associate professor in 1992. During his time at Chalatenango, he worked on the National Constitution Project and the Political Exchange Network, both of which aiming to educate the Atitlanese public on the constitution and their rights under it.
In 1994 he returned to Mava and briefly entered politics as a candidate in the 1995 presidential election. His appointment as a professor of constitutional law at the University of Mava led him to withdraw, despite initial support from the government.
==Political career==
In 1995, Kumanaq Pukonan, first minister of North Mava invited Kausaanek to sit as an appointed member of the North Mava Legislative Assembly. He declined the offer, having ambitions to be elected to the Assembly of the Islands.
In the 1997 general election, Kausaanek was elected to represent Aasqaalet's 1st Constituency, coming second of three elected members.
===Minister of Justice===
In May 2019 he was appointed Minister of Justice in the Nitigak council, becoming the oldest first-time cabinet minister since Taumanaqnik Paakatok in 1964. His first act as minister was to initiate a review into the feasibility of electing judges at a confederal level, which had previously been suggested by his predecessor Saatamaq Nelek. The eventual report, which he endorsed, recommended that judges be appointed on the recommendation of an independent body. The Judges (Appointments and Tenure) Act 2021 transferred responsibility for the nomination of judges to the Mavean Law Sociey.
In response to a perceived lack of focus on serious crime, Kausaanek pursued a "first things first" agenda, requiring courts to prioritise serious crimes and encouraging police to issue cautions for certain offences in place of a formal arrest. He was criticised by anti-drug advocates for suggesting that drug users are "small fish" and should not "obstruct" the proceedings of courts. In Parliament, Kausaanek clarified that he was not in favour of decriminalising or legalising drugs, saying that he "recognises the danger that drugs pose to our society and the harm that they do to users, to their families, and to the rest of us." His drug policy was challenged in the Court of Justice for overstepping confederal competence, which ruled that it was a "consultative competency" and thus required discussions with jurisdictional governments.
In 2021, he pioneered the creation of "community rehabilitation services", transferring responsibility for the rehabilitation and reintroduction of convicts into society from the National Probation Service to jurisdictional governments. This was followed a year later with the abolition of the National Probation Service and its replacement with the Probation and Offender Management Service. These policies came following a 2019 report that recommended that jurisdictions should resume responsibility for such matters. The creation of the new service prompted criticism for its perceived lack of independence, with its first director previously being a political appointee in the justice ministry.
==Chairman of the Government Council (2023-present)==
==Career==
Kausaanek was appointed chairman of the Government Council on 22 March 2023 following the sudden resignation of Paqtuq Maagamarak. His appointment was historic, being the oldest person to assume the office. This followed his becoming leader of Anuvik, having been unanimously acclaimed with no rival candidates.
On returning to Mava in 1975, he took up the position of a general studies teacher at Mava College. In 1983 he was appointed deputy principal of the college, and principal in 1988. During his time as principal and deputy principal he became a public figure in the local Mavean community, earning particular renown for his work to improve educational standards.
On his appointment, he met with the civic heads and political leaders of the jurisdictions and affirmed his commitment to further cooperation and reform. Although commentators initially believed his appointment to be temporary, given the immediate resignation of Paqtuq without a transition period, he led Anuvik into the May 2023 election. Despite the party's unpopularity, particularly given the controversies surrounding Paqtuq, his party won the election with a slightly reduced vote share.
In 1991, he was approached to stand as a counillor in the following year's elections; he turned down the request to focus on teaching. In 1996 he resigned as principal, although remaining as a part-time teacher, ahead of elections in 1997. He stood as a candidate and was elected with the sixth-most votes of thirteen candidates.
==Personal life==
As a councillor, he sat on the Committee on Administration, eventually becoming its chairman in 2004. As chairman, he led a review of the process of appointing the administrator (representative of the governor), with the final proposal recommending their approval by the Council. Whilst a non-binding consultative role was eventually established for the council, it remains unable to veto any appointment.
Kausaanek is unmarried, having declared:
{{blockquote|"the prospect of sharing my life with the same person scares me. I get bored easily. I want to move on and try new things, and I don't think that is compatible with the married lifestyle."}}
He is a private figure and is known for avoiding questions on his private life. His unmarried status has led to suggestions of homosexuality, further encouraged by his flamboyant and often-exaggerated mannerisms. Kausaanek has not disclosed his sexuality, neither confirming nor denying claims of homosexuality. In a 2023 interview, shortly before becoming council chairman, he expressed his view that a politicians private life is unimportant unless it is "corrupt, immoral, or compromising."
He is an avid reader and collector of banknotes. He is also a singer, having performed on several occasions.
In 2016 he was appointed to serve in the cabinet as portfolio lead for health, social services and community safety. In this capacity, he led the overhaul of children's services and successfully petititoned the Atitlanese federal ministry of health for funds for the building of a new doctor's surgery. He received criticism, however, after it emerged that he received private medical treatment in Chalatenango.
==Honours==
On the resignation of Paqtuq Maagamarak following his cancer diagnosis, Kausaanek was elected by the council as its leader. He was appointed by the administrator on 22 March 2023, becoming the oldest person to assume the office.
{| class="wikitable""
|-
! Ribbon bar
! style="width:25em"| Honour
! style="width:11em"| Date and comment
|-
|
| Fellow of the Mava Society
| 18 July 2001<br>Entitled to the post-nominals SMA
|-
| [[File:Ribbon of the Order of the Buttercup.png|80px]]
| Companion of the [[Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_Mava#Order_of_the_Buttercup|Order of the Buttercup]]
| 1 September 2015<br>Entitled to the post-nominals KTP
Kausaanek Salaaq Malaati (/koʊsaːnek salaːk malaːti/; born 10 August 1952) is a Mavean politician who currently serves as Leader of Mava Council since March 2023. He previously served in the Mava Council Cabinet, with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Community Safety. He has been a member of Mava Council since 1997, and is currently the longest-serving counillor.
Kausaanek is the oldest person to hold the office of Leader, having assumed the office aged 70.
Kausaanek was born on 10 August 1952 to Malaati Kaaganatak and Amuniq Ikinqipaagmik. Malaati was a general practitioner, whilst his mother was a teacher before leaving employment to raise a family. His parents met when his mother was a patient of his father, having married after a short courtship. Kausaanek was educated at Paas Catholic School and Mava College, before enrolling at the University of Chalatenango - the first in his family to go to university. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in social and behavioral sciences. In 1975, also at Chalatenango, he earned his teaching qualifications.
Career
On returning to Mava in 1975, he took up the position of a general studies teacher at Mava College. In 1983 he was appointed deputy principal of the college, and principal in 1988. During his time as principal and deputy principal he became a public figure in the local Mavean community, earning particular renown for his work to improve educational standards.
In 1991, he was approached to stand as a counillor in the following year's elections; he turned down the request to focus on teaching. In 1996 he resigned as principal, although remaining as a part-time teacher, ahead of elections in 1997. He stood as a candidate and was elected with the sixth-most votes of thirteen candidates.
As a councillor, he sat on the Committee on Administration, eventually becoming its chairman in 2004. As chairman, he led a review of the process of appointing the administrator (representative of the governor), with the final proposal recommending their approval by the Council. Whilst a non-binding consultative role was eventually established for the council, it remains unable to veto any appointment.
In 2016 he was appointed to serve in the cabinet as portfolio lead for health, social services and community safety. In this capacity, he led the overhaul of children's services and successfully petititoned the Atitlanese federal ministry of health for funds for the building of a new doctor's surgery. He received criticism, however, after it emerged that he received private medical treatment in Chalatenango.
On the resignation of Paqtuq Maagamarak following his cancer diagnosis, Kausaanek was elected by the council as its leader. He was appointed by the administrator on 22 March 2023, becoming the oldest person to assume the office.
