Sonsorol voters approve all 23 constitutional amendments

Voters in Sonsorol, Palau, approved all 23 proposed amendments to the state constitution in an Oct. 27 referendum, the Palau Election Commission certified the results on Oct. 30, Island Times reported. TMC Palau also reported that all 23 measures passed. The changes include merging two municipalities and reorganising the state Legislature.

Each amendment won a statewide majority and was approved in three of the state’s four municipalities, meeting the constitution’s requirement that an amendment pass in at least three-fourths of them, according to Island Times. Fanna, one of the municipalities affected by the merger, voted against all 23 proposals.

The merger was the closest vote, passing 76–49. Beginning next term, Sonsorol is to have three municipalities: the combined Dongosaro (Sonsorol) and Fanna, Puro (Pulo Anna), and Melieli (Merir). The Legislature will have 11 members: four elected at large, four from the merged municipality, two from Puro and one from Merir.

The new municipality must adopt a charter within 90 days. Island Times reported that Nurap will serve as chairman of the Council of Chiefs and as Sonsorol’s representative to the national Council of Chiefs.

The approved measures change how local areas are represented in the Legislature and how state and municipal finances are organised. They also alter the process for future constitutional amendments and set requirements for legislative and chiefly roles. For readers following the transition, the reported changes establish both a new municipal structure and a specific next step: the merged municipality’s charter.

Approval in Fanna was not necessary for the amendments to meet the stated passage threshold: the reported constitutional rule required approval in at least three of the four municipalities, and the measures passed in Sonsorol, Pulo Anna and Merir. Fanna nevertheless voted against every proposal, according to Island Times.

Island Times reported that the amendments replace separate state and municipal treasuries with a single state treasury. Revenue collected within a municipality, including license fees and fines, will go into that treasury for the benefit of both the state and the municipality. National block grants will be distributed according to needs and population rather than through the previous equal-share formula.

Other measures require three readings of bills instead of two, extend the Legislature’s impeachment power to the lieutenant governor, and require paramount chiefs to step aside from chiefly duties if they run for governor, lieutenant governor or the Legislature. The amendments also reserve at least 25% of the annual budget for capital improvements, community programs and resource development.

Voters approved replacing the requirement for approval in three-fourths of the municipalities for future constitutional amendments with a simple statewide majority. The reported change therefore revises the municipal threshold described for this referendum; the source reports the new rule as applying to future amendments.

Turnout was 45%: 130 of 289 registered voters cast ballots, Island Times reported. Fanna recorded the highest turnout, at 56%.

The reported implementation points are that the new municipal arrangement is to begin next term and that the merged municipality has 90 days to adopt its charter. The report does not specify a calendar date for the start of the next term. The Palau Election Commission certified the referendum results on Oct. 30.