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THE SENATESIXTEENTHORTHERNMARIANAS OMMONWEALTHEGISLATURE

SECONDEGULAR SESSION, 008

A SENATE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVEProposing to amend Article VIII, Section 1 of the CNMIConstitution regarding regular general elections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SIXTEENTH NORTHERN MANANASCOMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURE:Section 1. Findings. With the implementation of US Public Law 11 0-229 granting

the Commonwealth a non-voting delegate to the US Congress, the CNMI Government has toconduct a separate election for that office in even-numbered years commenc:ing in 2008 inaddition to holding regular general election in odd-numbered years pursuant to Article VIII,Section 1 of the CNMI Constitution. By not holding an election every year, the Legislaturefinds that the cost-savings could be used for other programs and services in need of additionalfunds. Therefore, the purpose of this initiative is to propose an amendment as set forth insection 2 hereof to Article VIII, Section 1 of the CNMT Constitution to hold regular generalelections only in even-numbered years.

Section 2. Legislative Initiative. The Sixteenth Northern Marianas CommonwealthLegislature, by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members of each house presentand voting, hereby enacts a legislative initiative proposing the following amendment to theConstitution to be placed before the people for ratification:

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"A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDM ENT

/ To Article VIII, Section 1 of the CNM I Constitution to read as follows:"Section 1: Regular General Election. The regular general election of theCommonwealth shall be held the Tuesday next after the first Monday Sktwcky inNovem ber in even-numb ered years."Section 3. Implementation. Upon ratification of this initiative in accordance with

section 4 hereof, Article VTII, Section 1, as amended hereby, shall be implemented asfollows, notwithstanding an y constitutional or statutory provision to the contrary:

(a) There shall be a regular general election in 2009 held pursuant to Article/ i VIII, Section I of the C NM l C onstitution and applicable election laws of' the

Com monw ealth that w ere in effect prior to ratification of this initiative; provided thata person elected to office, the term of w hich is:

(1) Tw o years, shall serv e a term of' three years su ch that the nextregular general election to that office shall occur in 2012 an d every two y earsthereafter.

(2) Four years, shall serve a term of five years such that the nextregular general election to that o ffice shall occur in 201 4 and every four yearsthereafter.(b) The regular general election in 201 1 shall be m oved to 2012 as prescribed

by Article VIII, Section 1, as amended, of the CNMI Constitution andCom monw ealth election laws. Th e te nn of office of an incumbent holding office towhich the election has been moved from 20 11 to 2012 shall expire at midnight of the

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day prior to inauguration to that office in 2013.Section 4. Adoption; Transmittal; Special Election. The President of the Senate

and the Speaker of the House shall certify and the Senate Legislative Secretary and HouseClerk shall attest to the adoption of this Legislative Initiative. The Senate Clerk shall thencause the Initiative to be transmitted to the Governor and the Commonwealth ElectionCommission with instructions that the Commission place it before the people of theCommonwealth for a ratification vote in a special election, in conformance with ArticleXVIII, Section 5 of the Commonwealth Constitution and 1 CMC 5 6505, to be held on theSaturday next after 90 days from the date of the initiative's enactment by ratification.

Passed by the Senate on December 04, 2008 House of Representatit~er n August 10, 2009and the b,v the u ffirmafive vote of three-fourths of the members in each house.

PETEP. REYES ARNOLD. PALACIOSSENATERESIDENT SPEAKERF THE HOUSE

ATTESTEDO BY:

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