List of leaders of Mava Council

Leader of Mava Council Maava Taapiit Puuaqat
Coat of arms of Mava
Incumbent Kausaanek Malaati since 22 March 2023
Style	No courtesy title or style
Member of	Mava Council Cabinet
Appointer	Administrator of Mava
Inaugural holder	Paaliuk Kaasatok
Formation	1972
Salary	A$50,000 annually
Website	http://mava.mv/puuaqat

The Leader of Mava Council is the head of government of Mava, an unincorporated territorial area of Atitlan. The Leader is elected by members of the Mava Council to chair and lead the Mava Council Cabinet, and is responsible for overseeing the development of policy and the administration of Mava's local government bodies.

Following on the Mava Statute, the Mava Council was given formal legislative powers and the right to pass secondary legislation. Beginning in 1972 with the passage of the statute, the council elects a member to lead the cabinet. Councillors convene following an election and select, on the basis of consensus, a member who is best placed to lead a government and represent the interests of Maveans. This is generally the councillor who received the most votes in the preceding election. The Leader nominates members to sit in the cabinet, who are approved by the council and appointed by the administrator.

Because of Mava's electoral system, in which half of councillors are elected every four years, leaders submit to a confidence vote following the next election (one in which they do not stand as a candidate). Only if they lose this confidence vote is a new leadership election held. The first leader, Paaliuk Kaasatok, was elected on 11 September 1972. The current leader, since 22 March 2023, is Kausaanek Malaati.

Nomination and appointment

The Chairman of the Government Council is appointed by the Presidency on the nomination of the Assembly of the Islands. Delegates to the Assembly may nominate anyone of their number as a candidate, with a minimum of 10 members representing at least three of the four jurisdictions required for a valid nomination. Candidates are formally nominated on the first Monday following a general election, or at the command of the President of the Assembly should nominations occur between elections. Voting occurs on the penultimate Monday of May, or on another date appointed by the speaker. A candidate requires a majority of members of all four jurisdiction delegations.

Voting is held in secret, with successive rounds of voting continuing until an outright winner is elected. There is no requirement for candidates to be party leaders, and a number of backbench members have been nominated in the past. However, it is generally accepted that the Assembly approves the nomination of the largest party.

According to precedent, outgoing chairmen serve until the end of the term of the Assembly. Mid-term nomination processes are generally avoided unless the chairman dies or is removed from office. The last chairman to leave office between elections was Paqtuq Maagamarak, who resigned in March 2023 ahead of the elections in May that year. Prior to this, the most recentl mid-term resignation was Teeqaat Nuisaat, who resigned half way through the 36th Assembly (1996) because of ill-health.

Role

The Chairman is head of government but enjoys significantly fewer powers than comparative positions in other countries. Because the Government Council operates de facto on the basis of collegiality, the position is officially first-amongst-equals and is responsible only for presiding and for overseeing its operations. Despite this, it is common practice for the Chairman to hold seniority over other ministers as a practical measure. Along with chairing duties, the office is also responsible for ensuring the preparation of reports to the Assembly and the publication of all confederal laws.

The Chairman also carries out some representative duties. The Chairman has, on occasion, spoken at the United Nations and is usually the member of the council who greets other heads of government. This duty, however, they may delegate to another minister.

The Great Seal of the Republic of Mava is held by the Chairman. However, the chairman does not hold the position of Keeper in their own right but rather on behalf of the council as a whole. Consequently, they exercise the powers of Keeper of the Great Seal only in consultation with and by the consent of the council as a whole.

List of office-holders

#	Tenure	Chairman	Portrait	Birth–death	Party		Jurisdiction
1	1925-1933	Paaliuk Kaasatok		1880–1962		Anuvik	North Mava
2	1933-1941	Kiigiak Taaquyok		1889-1976		Anuvik	North Mava
3	1941-1943	K.N. Mukkauniatok		1888-1968		Anuvik	South Mava
4	1943-1953	Pusiaarak Siminuk		1891–1980		Anuvik	Taak
5	1953-1972	Kussilaakug Kagaaq		1912–1980		Anuvik	Tokuksiagak
6	1972-1975	Pigaqamituuk Okulivaat		1925-2013		Anuvik	Tokuksiagak
7	1975-1983	Naasukkit Mikanaark		1929-2001		Anuvik	North Mava
8	1983-1990	Niqimuyaak Maait		1939-1990		Anuvik	South Mava
9	1990	Kiqoona Saarnerk		b.1959		Anuvik	Tokuksiagak
10	1990-1996	Tiiqaat Nuisaat		b.1955		Anuvik	South Mava
11	1996-2007	Kiqoona Saarnerk		b.1959		Anuvik	Tokuksiagak
12	2007-2013	Akinvik Sipputi		b.1968		Anuvik	North Mava
13	2013-2015	Nitigak Issitaunimaakok		b.1968		Anuvik	South Mava
14	2015-2023	Paqtuq Maagamarak		b.1958		Anuvik	North Mava
15	2023-present	Kausaanek Malaati		b.1952		Anuvik	North Mava

See also

• Politics of Mava
• Culture of Mava

External links

• Prime Minister of Mava. Government of Mava