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ABOUT THE FSM
NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is an independent, sovereign nation made up of the four states of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap which are a group of
approximately 607 small islands in the Western Pacific lying just above the equator about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii and about 1,800 miles north of eastern Australia above Papua New Guinea. The FSM comprises part of what was generally known as the Eastern and Western Caroline Islands.
While the FSM's total land area is quite small and amounts to approximately 270 square miles, it occupies more than one million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. It ranges from Kosrae furthest to the East, then to Pohnpei, Chuuk, and finally to Yap furthest to the West, with a length of over 2,000 miles. Each of the four States is centered around one or more main high islands, and all but Kosrae includes numerous outlying atolls.
Chuuk, formerly known as Truk, has a land
area of about 49.2 square miles and includes seven major island groups. Pohnpei, formerly known as Ponape, has about 133.4 square miles of land. Almost all of that total is accounted for by Pohnpei island, the largest in the FSM. Pohnpei also includes the outlying island groups of Pingelap, Mokil, Nukuoro, and Kapingamarangi. Yap is made up of 4 relatively large islands, 7 small islands, and 134 atolls, with a total land area of about 45 square miles. Kosrae, formerly known as Kusaie, is essentially one high island of 42.3 square miles.
The FSM enjoys a tropical climate, with relatively even, warm temperatures throughout the year. Rainfall is generally plentiful, and Pohnpei reputedly is one of the wettest places on Earth, with certain locations receiving up to 330 inches of rain per year.
The FSM was formerly a part of the Trust Territory
of the Pacific
Islands (TTPI), but formed it's own constitutional government on May 10, 1979. Other neighboring island entities, and also members of the TTPI, formulated their own constitutional governments and became the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Republic of Palau (ROP). The Northern Mariana Islands opted to become a commonwealth of the United States and became the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The FSM is an independent, sovereign nation with a seat in the United Nations.
The FSM National
Capitol is located in Palikir, Pohnpei, where the Office of the FSM
President, the FSM Supreme Court, and the FSM Congress are
located.
The FSM Constitution provides for three separate branches of government at the national level - Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The constitution contains a Declaration of Rights similar to the
U.S. Bill of Rights, specifying basic standards of human and individual rights. It also contains provisions recognizing and protecting traditional rights. Many major governmental functions other than the conduct of foreign affairs and defense are carried out by the state governments.
The
Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia is a unicameral law making body with 14 Senators - one from each state elected for a four-year term, and ten who serve two-year terms, whose seats are apportioned by population. Chuuk has six seats, Pohnpei four and Yap and Kosrae each have two seats. See, Art. IX of the FSM Constitution.
The President and Vice President, who head the Executive Branch, are elected by the members of the
FSM Congress, from among the four-year Senators, and the vacant seats are then filled in special elections. The Executive Branch has the duty to execute the laws and administer national government services. See, Art. X of the FSM Constitution.
The Judicial Branch of the National Government is composed of the FSM Supreme Court, comprised of Justices who sit in trial and appellate divisions. At this time there are no other National courts. Justices are nominated by the President for a lifetime appointment and confirmed by the Congress. The job of the judicial branch is to interpret the constitution and laws of the nation. See, Art. XI of the FSM Constitution.
The state
governments under their constitutions are
structurally similar, all utilizing three co-equal branches of government, the executive, legislative and judicial. Each of the state constitutions contain provisions recognizing and preserving local custom and tradition.
The FSM entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United States on November 3, 1986.
The Compact provides for continuous close ties to the United
States through mutual obligations and fiscal assistance agreed to in
that agreement. Certain provisions of the Compact of Free Association,
most notably the economic provisions, were amended in 2004. The documents relating to these amendments can be found at the FSM Joint Committee on Compact Economic
Negotiations website.
The national
government leaders and some key staff are as follows:
President: Hon.
Emanuel (Manny) Mori
Vice
President: Hon. Alik L. Alik
Chief of
Staff: Hon. Churchill B. Edward
Secretary
(Sec.), Dept. of Justice: Hon.
April Dawn Skilling, Esq.
Assistant
Attorney Generals:
Pole Atanraoi, Esq.
Leonito Bacalando, Jr., Esq.
Steve George
Aaron Warren, Esq.
Sec., Dept. of Foreign Affairs: Hon.
Lorin S. Robert
Ambassador to United States: Hon. Asterio R. Takesy
Ambassador to United Nations: Hon. Jane Chigiyal
Ambassador to Japan: Hon. John Fritz
Ambassador to Fiji: Hon. Gerson A. Jackson
Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China: Hon.
Akilino H. Susaia
Counsul
General, Hawai'i: Hon. Kandhi A. Elieisar
Counsul
General, Guam: Hon. Robert Ruecho
Sec., Dept. of Finance & Admin.: Hon.
[Acting] Rose N. Naganaka
Sec., Dept. of Resources & Development:
Hon. Marion Henry
Sec., Dept. of Health & Soc. Affairs: Hon.
Dr. Vita Akapito Skilling
Sec.,
Dept. of Education: Hon. Dr. Rufino Mauricio
Sec., Dept. of Transport., Commun. & Infra.: Hon.
Francis Itimai
Office of
Statistics, Budget, Overseas Dev. Assist. & Compact Management:
Director Evelyn Adolph
Office of
Environmental and Emergency Management: Director Andrew R. Yatilman
Office of
Nat'l Archives, Culture & Historic Preservation:
Acting Director Augustine Kohler
Public
Information Officer (PIO): Acting Elieser Rospel;
SAP/Information Marcellus Akapito
Speaker
: Hon. Isaac V. Figir
Vice Speaker
: Hon. Berney Martin
Floor Leader: Hon. Florencio Singkoro Harper
Chrmn., Comm. on J & GO:
Hon. David W. Panuelo
Chrmn., Comm. on W & M:
Hon. Dohsis S. Halbert
Chrmn., Comm. on R & D:
Hon. Roger S. Mori
Chrmn., Comm. on H & SA: Hon.
Tony H. Otto
Chrmn., Comm. on Education: Hon. Joseph
J. Urusemal
Chrmn., Comm. on T & C:
Hon. Peter M. Christian
Chrmn., Comm. on Ext. Aff.: Hon.
Paliknoa K. Welly
Other Members, Chuuk:
Hon. Tiwiter
Aritos
Hon. Tony H. Otto
Hon. Roger S. Mori
Hon. Bonsiano Fasy Nethon
Hon. Wesley W. Simina
Other Member, Kosrae: Hon. Yosiwo P.
George
Other Member, Pohnpei: Hon.
David W. Panuelo
Hon. Peter M. Christian
Chief Clerk: Liwiana K. Ramon
Legislative Counsel: T. Lam Dang, Esq.
Staff Attorneys:
Alik K. Jackson, Esq.
Jonathan
White,
Esq.
Pinkney Baird
Cathrine Allen
Budget Officer: Jack E. Yakana
Dir., Admin. &
Budget: [Vacant]
Administrator: Suda Rayel
Public Information Officer: Lynn Narruhn
FSM Supreme Court
(Judiciary)
Chief Justice: Hon. Martin G. Yinug
Associate
Justices:
Hon.
Dennis K. Yamase
Hon. Ready E. Johnny
Hon. Beauleen Carl-Worswick
Chief/Appellate Clerk: Kohsak Keller
Administration: Director Kapilly Capelle
Justice Ombudsmen
National:
Belan Yoma
Chuuk: Harry Narruhn
Kosrae: Linson
Waguk
Pohnpei: Johnny Peter
Yap: Leo G. Kennufmed
General Counsel: Samuel
Bailey, Esq.
Staff Attorneys
Chuuk:
Larry Wentworth, Esq.
Pohnpei:
Yoslyn Sigrah, Esq.
Danny Rescue, Jr., Esq.
Yap: Yoav Sered
Librarian: Atarino Helieisar
Webmaster: [Vacant]
Other Offices and
Agencies
Chief Public
Defender: Julius Joey Sapelalut, Esq.
Public
Auditor: Haser H.
Hainrick
Nat'l Election Comm., Director:
Albert T. Welly
Postmaster General: Ginger Porter Mida
FSM
Telecomm. Corp., Gen.
Manager: John Sohl
COM-FSM President:
Joseph M. Daisy
Soc. Sec., Administrator: Alexander
R. Narruhn
NORMA, Exec.
Dir.: Patrick McKenzie
NFC,
Pres./CEO: Peter S. Sitan
FSM Development Bank, Pres./CEO: Anna Mendiola
Banking
Comm., Commissioner: Wilson Waguk
Coconut Dev.
Auth., Gen.
Manager: Namio Nanpei
Compact Management, Bd.
Mem.: Nick L. Andon
Compact Management, Bd.
Mem.:
Office of Compact
Management, Dir.: Epel K. Ilon
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