|image = [[File:Kausaanek Malaati in 2021.jpg|Kausaanek Malaati in 2021|220px]]
| caption = Kausaanek in January 2024.
|caption = Kausaanek in 2021
| office = [[List of leaders of Mava|Leader of Mava Council]]
| office = 15th [[Chairman of the Government Council of Mava]]{{efn|Kausaanek is the 14th person to hold the office. Kiqoona Saarnerk served on two non-consecutive occasions, with each term counted separately. Consequently, she is both the 9th and 11th chairman.}}
| term_start = 24 May 2023
| term_start = 22 March 2023
| term_end =
| term_end =
| monarch =
| president = Nua Kiuiaakii
| deputy = Nukavik Piitaaq
| deputy = Anaayak Nelagak
| predecessor = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| predecessor = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| successor =
| office1 = Deputy Leader of Mava Council
| office1 = Leader of Anuvik
| term_start1 = 24 May 2019
| term_start1 = 20 March 2023
| term_end1 = 24 May 2023
| term_end1 =
| monarch1 =
| predecessor1 = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| deputy1 =
| successor1 =
| predecessor1 = Tilurut Qurlivitaneq
| successor1 = Nukavik Piitaaq
| office2 = Minister of Justice
| office2 = Member of Mava Council Executive
| term_start2 = 19 May 2019
| term_start2 = 24 May 2019
| term_end2 = 22 May 2023
| term_end2 =
| primeminister2 = Paqtuq Maagamarak
| office3 = Member of [[Mava Council]]
| predecessor2 = Saatamaq Nelek
| successor2 = Aimapiik Kaanagak
| office3 = Member of the [[Assembly of the Islands]] for Aasqaalet's 1st Constituency
| term_start3 = 9 May 1997
| term_start3 = 9 May 1997
| predecessor3 = Niilaraq Saalunerk
| predecessor3 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|8|10|df=y}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|8|10|df=y}}
| education =
|birth_place = Paas, North Mava, [[Mava]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|alma_mater = University of Mava (LLM), University of Chalatenango (DPhil)
|party = Anuvik
|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|PChairman 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. He is currently [[List of leaders of Mava Council|Leader of Mava Council]], the oldest to hold the position. He previously served as Deputy Leader of Mava Council and Executive Member for Economy and Finance from 2019 to 2023.
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.
== Biography ==
Kausaanek was born in Paas (then called Ariza) on 10 August 1952. His father, Malaati Kaaganatak, was a general practitioner and, in the absence of Atitlanese medical personnel, the most senior doctor on the island. His mother, Amuniq Ikinqipaagmik, was born in Atlalilco and was a quarter Atitlanese. He was educated at Paas Catholic School, before moving to moving to [[Atitlan]] in 1970.
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..
He served in the Atitlanese Navy for five years, the first indigenous Mavean to do so. He left the navy in 1976. Kausaanek returned to Mava in 1977, joining ''Uujutajap Paas Kamaqjuukutnik'' as a reporter. He became deputy editor in 1985 and editor in 1987.
==Early life and education==
He first ran to be a member of Mava Council in 1991 but was not elected. In 1997, he ran again and won, being the 13th highest-ranked of 16 winning winning candidates. He was won re-election in each subsequent election, increasing his percentage of the vote each time.
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.
==Career==
In 1998, he was appointed to the Committee on Administration, becoming its chairman in 2004. As chairman, he led efforts to abolish the office of Representative of the Government. Whilst his attempts were unsuccessful, the Atitlanese government removed all remaining political powers from the position.
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.
In 2019 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for economy and finance, becoming the oldest first-time member of the council's executive. As the island's economy minister, he led negotiations with the Atitlanese government over development grants, and led the creation of the Mava Islands Development Corporation.
==Political career==
In 2022, council leader Paqtuq Maagamarak announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He confirmed that he would not seek re-election as council leader, and Kausaanek became acting council leader in January 2023. Following 2023 council elections, Kausaanek became the most-voted candidate and, according to convention, became council leader.
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.
== Personal life ==
Kausaanek is unmarried, living in Paas with his sister. He speaks Mavean, Almagrian, and Anglish. In 2009, he received the [[Neikanaat]] medal for his public service.
===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)==
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 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.
==Personal life==
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.
==Honours==
{| 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. He is currently Leader of Mava Council, the oldest to hold the position. He previously served as Deputy Leader of Mava Council and Executive Member for Economy and Finance from 2019 to 2023.
Biography
Kausaanek was born in Paas (then called Ariza) on 10 August 1952. His father, Malaati Kaaganatak, was a general practitioner and, in the absence of Atitlanese medical personnel, the most senior doctor on the island. His mother, Amuniq Ikinqipaagmik, was born in Atlalilco and was a quarter Atitlanese. He was educated at Paas Catholic School, before moving to moving to Atitlan in 1970.
He served in the Atitlanese Navy for five years, the first indigenous Mavean to do so. He left the navy in 1976. Kausaanek returned to Mava in 1977, joining Uujutajap Paas Kamaqjuukutnik as a reporter. He became deputy editor in 1985 and editor in 1987.
He first ran to be a member of Mava Council in 1991 but was not elected. In 1997, he ran again and won, being the 13th highest-ranked of 16 winning winning candidates. He was won re-election in each subsequent election, increasing his percentage of the vote each time.
In 1998, he was appointed to the Committee on Administration, becoming its chairman in 2004. As chairman, he led efforts to abolish the office of Representative of the Government. Whilst his attempts were unsuccessful, the Atitlanese government removed all remaining political powers from the position.
In 2019 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for economy and finance, becoming the oldest first-time member of the council's executive. As the island's economy minister, he led negotiations with the Atitlanese government over development grants, and led the creation of the Mava Islands Development Corporation.
In 2022, council leader Paqtuq Maagamarak announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He confirmed that he would not seek re-election as council leader, and Kausaanek became acting council leader in January 2023. Following 2023 council elections, Kausaanek became the most-voted candidate and, according to convention, became council leader.
Personal life
Kausaanek is unmarried, living in Paas with his sister. He speaks Mavean, Almagrian, and Anglish. In 2009, he received the Neikanaat medal for his public service.
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