Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 90 Part 1.djvu/314

 9 0 STAT. 2 6 4

PUBLIC LAW 9 4 - 2 4 1 — M A R. 24, 1976 "Whereas, the United States supports the desire of the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands to exercise their inalienable r i g h t of selfdetermination; and "Whereas, the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands and the people of the United States share the goals and values found in the American system of government based upon the principles of government by the consent of the governed, individual freedom and democracy; and "Whereas, for over twenty years, the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands, through public petition and referendum, have clearly expressed their desire for political union with the United States; "Now, therefore, the INIarianas Political Status Commission, being the duly appointed representative of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Personal Representative of the President of the United States have entered into this Covenant in order to establish a self-governing commonwealth for the Northern Mariang, Islands within the American political system and to define the future relationship between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States. This Covenant will be mutually binding when it is approved by the United States, by the Mariana Islands District Legislature and by the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands in a plebiscite, constituting on their part a sovereign act of self-determination. "ARTICLE

I

"POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP

"SECTioisr 101. The Northern M a r i a n a Islands upon termination of the Trusteeship Agreement will become a self-governing commonwealth to be known as the Commonwealth of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands', in political union with and under the sovereignty of the United States of America. "SECTION 102. The relations between the Northern M a r i a n a Islands and the United States will be governed by this Covenant which, together with those provisions of the Constitution, treaties and laws of the United States applicable to the Northern M a r i a n a Islands, will be the supreme law of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands. "SECTION 103. The people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands will have the r i g h t of local self-government and will govern themselves with respect to internal affairs in accordance with a Constitution of their own adoption. "SECTION 104. The United States will have complete responsibility for and authority w i t h respect to matters relating to foreign affairs and defense affecting the Northern M a r i a n a Islands. "SECTION 105. The United States may enact legislation in accordance with its constitutional processes which will be applicable to the Northern M a r i a n a Islands, b u t if such legislation cannot also be made applicable to the several States the Northern Mariana Islands must be specifically named therein for it to become effective in the Northern M a r i a n a Islands. I n order to respect the r i g h t of self-government guaranteed by this Covenant the United States agrees to limit the exercise of that authority so that the fundamental provisions of this Covenant, namely Articles I, II and III and Sections 501 and 805, may be modified only with the consent of the Government of the United States and the Government of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands.

�