Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 18 December 1976. Following the election, Bernard Dowiyogo was elected President by Members of the Parliament. [1]
In July 1976 Parliament had forced President Hammer DeRoburt – head of state since independence in 1968 – to resign after refusing to pass financial bills. However, within a few hours DeRoburt was re-elected president unopposed. [2]
A total of 43 candidates contested the elections, two of whom were elected unopposed. [2]
An informal Nauru Party was formed prior to the election, the first party on the island. Its members were younger MPs who had been concerned about the country's economic policy and saw DeRoburt's government of making decisions without proper discussion. [2]
15 of the 18 incumbents were re-elected. Lagumot Harris, MP for Ubenide, was surprisingly defeated. [2]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Independents | 1,155 | 100.00 | 18 | |
Total | 1,155 | 100.00 | 18 | |
Valid votes | 1,155 | 85.68 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 193 | 14.32 | ||
Total votes | 1,348 | 100.00 | ||
Source: IPU |
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Aiwo | Samuel Edwin Tsitsi | 94.53 | Elected |
Kinza Clodumar | 93.33 | Elected | |
Reginald Roderick Akiri | 67.72 | ||
August Detonga Deiye | 64.53 | ||
Clifford Andrew Simon | 58.92 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 1 | ||
Total votes cast | 168 | ||
Anabar | David Peter Gadaraoa | 70.35 | Elected |
Obeira Menke | 59.10 | Elected | |
Agoko Doguape | 57.87 | ||
Felix Kun | 55.60 | ||
Jerry Waidabu | 35.65 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 7 | ||
Total votes cast | 129 | ||
Anetan [lower-alpha 1] | Roy Degoregore | 0 | Elected |
Lawrence Stephen | 0 | Elected | |
Invalid/blank votes | 0 | ||
Total votes cast | 0 | ||
Boe | Hammer DeRoburt | 112.00 | Elected |
Kenas Aroi | 89.67 | Elected | |
Gouradage Star | 62.33 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 2 | ||
Total votes cast | 146 | ||
Buada | Austin Bernicke | 81.25 | Elected |
Ruben James Kun | 67.35 | Elected | |
Totouwa Depaune | 62.47 | ||
Alec Hindmarsh Stephen | 55.48 | ||
Rennie Harris | 48.68 | ||
Vinson Franco Detenamo | 47.37 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 0 | ||
Total votes cast | 148 | ||
Meneng | James Ategan Bop | 120.05 | Elected |
Bobby Ingitebo Eoe | 117.14 | Elected | |
Frank Canon | 96.00 | ||
Christmas Bam | 80.95 | ||
Rirainang Allan Thoma | 79.22 | ||
David Audi Dabwido | 74.42 | ||
Alec Dogaben Harris | 67.46 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 4 | ||
Total votes cast | 249 | ||
Ubenide | Buraro Detudamo | 147.62 | Elected |
Bernard Dowiyogo | 125.17 | Elected | |
Victor Eoaeo | 119.05 | Elected | |
Derog Gioura | 118.73 | Elected | |
Kennan Ranibok Adeang | 103.69 | ||
Lagumot Harris | 103.55 | ||
James DeLuckner | 71.68 | ||
Paul Lawrence Ribauw | 71.34 | ||
Mark Dennis Kun | 63.98 | ||
Joseph Laben Hiram | 60.06 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 9 | ||
Total votes cast | 345 | ||
Yaren | Joseph Detsimea Audoa | 116.63 | Elected |
Leo Depagadogi Keke | 72.63 | Elected | |
Alfred Derangdedage Dick | 65.33 | ||
Pres Nimes Dabwadauw | 63.12 | ||
John Binono Willis | 45.33 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 4 | ||
Total votes cast | 163 | ||
Source: Republic of Nauru Government Gazette, 20 December, 1976 |
The newly elected Parliament met on 21 December and re-elected Kenas Aroi was re-elected as Speaker. After DeRoburt refused to listen to suggestions that he appoint some new ministers to his cabinet, he lost the vote for president to Bernard Dowiyogo by nine votes to seven. [2] Following the election, Nauru Party MPs met with DeRoburt and promised that Dowiyogo would resign and allow him to run unopposed if he reconsidered making changes to his cabinet. However, he refused, taking the view that the president should be free to choose their own cabinet. [2]
Dowiyogo appointed a new cabinet, including Aroi, who subsequently resigned as Speaker. Samuel Tsitsi was elected in his place. [2]
Position | Minister |
---|---|
President Minister for External Affairs Minister of Justice Minister for the Public Service | Bernard Dowiyogo |
Minister for Finance Minister Assisting the President | Kinza Clodumar |
Minister for Health Minister for Education | Lawrence Stephen |
Minister for Islands Development and Industry Minister for Civil Aviation | Kenas Aroi |
Minister for Works and Community Services | Ruben Kun |
On 24 December, DeRoburt called a special session of parliament to propose a motion that the new government had been formed outside the constitution, which did not provide for party politics. [2] The debate was halted when Tsisti resigned as Speaker, also giving up his seat in Parliament. The following week David Gadaroa was elected as the third Speaker of the parliamentary term. [2]
The Supreme Court later overturned the election of Derog Gioura. Kennan Adeang was declared elected in his place. [4] In 1977 MP René Harris – who had replaced Tsitsi after his resignation – was removed from Parliament after being convicted of assault. In the subsequent by-election, he was re-elected with 95 votes, defeating Reginald Akiri (41 votes), John Bill (12) and August Deiye (10). [4]
The politics of Nauru take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Nauru is the head of government of the executive branch. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo was a Nauruan politician who served as President of Nauru on seven separate occasions. During this time, he also served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Ubenide.
René Reynaldo Harris was President of the Republic of Nauru four times between 1999 and 2004. He was a Member of Parliament from 1977 to 2008.
Kinza Godfrey Clodumar was a Nauruan politician who served as President of Nauru from 1997 to 1998.
The Democratic Party of Nauru (DPN) is a political party in the Oceanian nation of Nauru.
Marcus Ajemada Stephen is a Nauruan politician and former sportsperson who previously was a member of the Cabinet of Nauru, and who served as President of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. The son of Nauruan parliamentarian Lawrence Stephen, Stephen was educated at St Bedes College and RMIT University in Victoria, Australia. Initially playing Australian rules football, he opted to pursue the sport of weightlifting, in which he represented Nauru at the Summer Olympics and Commonwealth Games between 1990 and 2002, winning seven Commonwealth gold medals.
Kenas Aroi was a Nauruan political figure. He was President of the Republic of Nauru from 17 August to 12 December 1989.
Kennan Ranibok Adeang was a Nauruan politician who served as President of Nauru for three separate periods during the late 20th century. Born in Nauru, and educated in Australia, including at the Australian School of Pacific Administration, Adeang was first elected to the Parliament of Nauru in 1971, representing the seat of Ubenide, and became a noted opponent of Hammer DeRoburt, the country's first president. He first became president in 1986, serving two short terms at the end of that year. In the following year, 1987, Adeang was involved in the establishment of the Democratic Party of Nauru, one of the first political parties in Nauru. He again served as president in late 1996, but lost power after a motion of no confidence. Adeang was active in parliament until 2000, serving at various times in the Cabinet, and also as Speaker from February 1997 to December 1998. In 2007, he was appointed High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji, serving in the position until his death in 2011. His son, David Adeang, also served in the Nauruan parliament, occupying the same constituency as his father.
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