David Adeang
Encyclopedia
David Waiau Adeang is a Nauru
an politician
, and a former Speaker
of the Parliament of Nauru
, and a former Foreign Minister of Nauru. He is a founding member of the Naoero Amo (Nauru First Party), currently the only successful political party on the island.
, who served three times as President of Nauru
. David Adeang began his political career as a lawyer. After all Ubenide seats had been vacated on 6 November 2001, Adeang won a seat in the following by-election, ousting Joseph Hiram while the other three previous MPs regained their seats. In the parliamentary elections of May 2003
, amidst political and economic turmoil, the Naoero Amo won 3 of the 18 seats, and Adeang was one of the elected members. The Naoero Amo entered a coalition
with Ludwig Scotty
and his supporters. Scotty became President and Adeang became Finance Minister
. He was only finance minister for three months however, as in August 2003 Scotty's government fell, and Kinza Clodumar
became finance minister.
In April 2004, Adeang was charged with sedition along with Kieren Keke
and Fabian Ribauw
after a protest at Nauru's airport. In June 2004 Clodumar and the Naoero Amo united to re-elect Scotty as President. Clodumar remained finance minister, while Adeang became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice. Also, the charges against Adeang and the others were dropped. His appointment as foreign minister is interesting because he was the first foreign minister not to be the President of Nauru. That post had been given to the President since Nauru gained independence in 1968. Adeang was easily re-elected to Parliament from the Ubenide
constituency in the October 2004 elections. Later that month, he left the position of justice minister, became finance minister, and retained the position of foreign minister.
. He received the most votes in the Ubenide
constituency, which elects 4 seats.
to be controversial. He extolled Cuba
and criticized US foreign policy, during a visit to the Caribbean
island.
, Frederick Pitcher
, and Roland Kun
—and an unsuccessful motion of no-confidence against Scotty's government on 13 November 2007. Although a majority of those voting supported the motion (eight in favor, seven opposed), it fell short of the necessary nine votes. However, another vote on 19 December was successful in ousting Scotty, and Marcus Stephen
was elected President; Stephen named Kieren Keke
to replace Adeang as Foreign Minister.
moved to attempt a motion of no confidence
in President Marcus Stephen
, which was, however, thwarted by the resignation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru
. It was noted that Adeang was a former strong critic of Mr. Harris's record in government.
, succeeding Riddell Akua. He entered office on 20 March 2008.
On 22 March, Adeang called a Parliamentary session, allegedly without informing government ministers, who therefore did not attend. Opposition MPs, Adeang included, constituted a majority of legislators present, and passed a ruling outlawing dual citizenship
for Members of Parliament. The ruling, if applied, would affect senior Cabinet ministers Dr. Kieren Keke
and Frederick Pitcher
. Were they compelled to resign from Parliament, the Opposition would control a majority of seats in Parliament. The government rejected the legitimacy of the ruling, stating that it was unconstitutional
because of the lack of parliamentary quorum
. President Marcus Stephen accused Adeang and the Opposition of passing the ruling "after dark on Easter Saturday", "under candelight". For his part, Adeang asserted that the 22 March session of Parliament was valid.
On 31 March Adeang claimed that the Nauru
government had mounted a coup: since the police refused to eject two government ministers from the chamber of Parliament, in accordance with his ruling of 28 March, the rule of Parliament no longer governed the police. The Government, in response, denied the claim, stating that they were awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court on the issue.
The crisis continued into early April 2008, with Adeang stating that he would consider the Supreme Court's ruling as "just an opinion", and Keke responding that the Supreme Court, not the Speaker, had the jurisdiction to determine a member of Parliament's eligibility.
Relations between Adeang, as Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru
, and the Stephen Administration, remained under severe strain following the ruling, and the Administration's ministers continued to exercise executive powers without the support of Parliament.
Following the 7 April release of the Supreme Court decision which ruled against the dual nationality law, with the passing of which Adeang was particularly identified, Adeang indicated that forty years of post-independence Parliamentary precedent had been set aside. For its part, the government of Marcus Stephen
strongly welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling: whether or not for ideological and principled reasons also, it was seen as ensuring the immediate survival of the Administration.
On 10 April, following allegations of unruly behaviour in the chamber of the Parliament of Nauru
, Adeang, as Speaker, suspended President Marcus Stephen
from Parliament, along with all members who supported Stephen's Administration. On 18 April, Stephen declared a state of emergency, dissolved Parliament, and announced fresh elections
. In so doing, President Stephen claimed to be seeking a way out of the impasse which has characterized the relationship between the Government and the Parliament of Nauru, since the Stephen Administration lost a working majority there. For Adeang, the step was one which he had been advocating for several weeks.
by Riddell Akua (who also preceded him as Speaker), following the elections of 26 April 2008, when President Marcus Stephen
increased his support.
, David Adeang lost an important ally with whom he had closely worked in the earlier part of 2008.
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
an politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and a former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Parliament of Nauru
Parliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
, and a former Foreign Minister of Nauru. He is a founding member of the Naoero Amo (Nauru First Party), currently the only successful political party on the island.
Background and Early career
David Adeang's father is Kennan AdeangKennan Adeang
In Adeang's periods of political office he was regarded as an opponent of veteran Nauruan politician Hammer DeRoburt.While in Opposition following his second period of Presidential office, Adeang founded and led the Democratic Party of Nauru, which had, as its stated aims, the curbing of increases...
, who served three times as President of Nauru
President of Nauru
The President of Nauru is elected by Parliament from amongst its members. He is both the head of state and head of government of Nauru. Nauru's unicameral Parliament has 18 members, with an electoral term of 3 years. Political parties only play a minor role in Nauru politics, and there has often...
. David Adeang began his political career as a lawyer. After all Ubenide seats had been vacated on 6 November 2001, Adeang won a seat in the following by-election, ousting Joseph Hiram while the other three previous MPs regained their seats. In the parliamentary elections of May 2003
Nauruan parliamentary election, 2003
The 2003 Nauruan parliamentary election took place on 3 May 2003 in Nauru to elect members of the Parliament of Nauru. The election took place with Nauru having economic difficulties and a large budget deficit. This was the main issue in the election, which followed a period where a number of...
, amidst political and economic turmoil, the Naoero Amo won 3 of the 18 seats, and Adeang was one of the elected members. The Naoero Amo entered a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
with Ludwig Scotty
Ludwig Scotty
Ludwig Derangadage Scotty is a two-time former President of the Republic of Nauru. He served as President from 29 May 2003 to 8 August 2003, then from 22 June 2004 to his ousting in a vote of no confidence on 19 December 2007....
and his supporters. Scotty became President and Adeang became Finance Minister
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
. He was only finance minister for three months however, as in August 2003 Scotty's government fell, and Kinza Clodumar
Kinza Clodumar
HE Kinza Godfrey Clodumar is a political figure from Nauru who was President of Nauru from 1997 to 1998.-Background:...
became finance minister.
In April 2004, Adeang was charged with sedition along with Kieren Keke
Kieren Keke
Kieren Aedogan Ankwong Keke is a Nauruan politician and medical doctor. He is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has previously been speaker of the Nauruan Parliament.-Background:...
and Fabian Ribauw
Fabian Ribauw
Fabian Dominic Ribauw is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Nauru.-Background and political role:Ribauw studied in Australia and earned a BA in Economics from La Trobe University, Melbourne....
after a protest at Nauru's airport. In June 2004 Clodumar and the Naoero Amo united to re-elect Scotty as President. Clodumar remained finance minister, while Adeang became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice. Also, the charges against Adeang and the others were dropped. His appointment as foreign minister is interesting because he was the first foreign minister not to be the President of Nauru. That post had been given to the President since Nauru gained independence in 1968. Adeang was easily re-elected to Parliament from the Ubenide
Ubenide
Ubenide is one of the constituencies of Nauru and is made up of the four districts: Baiti, Denigomodu, Nibok, and Uaboe. It covers an area of 4.5 km², and has a population of 3,300...
constituency in the October 2004 elections. Later that month, he left the position of justice minister, became finance minister, and retained the position of foreign minister.
Developments in 2007
Adeang was easily reelected in the August 2007 parliamentary electionNauruan parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 25 August 2007. There were more than 80 candidates for the 18 seats available. Fifteen MPs were reelected, among them fourteen supporters of Ludwig Scotty's government; the only opposition politician to be reelected was René Harris...
. He received the most votes in the Ubenide
Ubenide
Ubenide is one of the constituencies of Nauru and is made up of the four districts: Baiti, Denigomodu, Nibok, and Uaboe. It covers an area of 4.5 km², and has a population of 3,300...
constituency, which elects 4 seats.
Praise of Cuba
In September 2007, Adeang, as Foreign Minister, made a number of public statements deemed in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to be controversial. He extolled Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and criticized US foreign policy, during a visit to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island.
Report of criticism of Adeang by US State Department
The US Department of State, referring to events investigated in 2007, reported criticism of Adeang in its Human Rights Report, issued for 2008. This criticism was included in the State Department's report, despite the fact that police, having undertaken an investigation of allegations of wrongdoing, made no attempt to prosecute Adeang.Involvement with the demise of the Scotty government
Allegations of misconduct on the part of Adeang and Scotty's unwillingness to act against Adeang led to the resignation of several members of the government—Kieren KekeKieren Keke
Kieren Aedogan Ankwong Keke is a Nauruan politician and medical doctor. He is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has previously been speaker of the Nauruan Parliament.-Background:...
, Frederick Pitcher
Frederick Pitcher
Frederick William "Freddie" Pitcher is a Nauruan political figure. In December 2007, Pitcher was appointed Finance Minister of Nauru, to serve in the Administration of President Marcus Stephen....
, and Roland Kun
Roland Kun
Roland Tullen Kun is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Nauru.-Political roles:Kun was elected in 2004 to serve as a Member of the Parliament of Nauru and has also served as Minister of Justice...
—and an unsuccessful motion of no-confidence against Scotty's government on 13 November 2007. Although a majority of those voting supported the motion (eight in favor, seven opposed), it fell short of the necessary nine votes. However, another vote on 19 December was successful in ousting Scotty, and Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
was elected President; Stephen named Kieren Keke
Kieren Keke
Kieren Aedogan Ankwong Keke is a Nauruan politician and medical doctor. He is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has previously been speaker of the Nauruan Parliament.-Background:...
to replace Adeang as Foreign Minister.
Alliance with former President Rene Harris
In an unusual alliance, in March 2008 Adeang and former President Rene HarrisRené Harris
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.-Background and early career:...
moved to attempt a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in President Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
, which was, however, thwarted by the resignation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru
Parliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
. It was noted that Adeang was a former strong critic of Mr. Harris's record in government.
Appointment as Parliamentary Speaker
Subsequently in March 2008, Adeang was appointed Speaker of the Parliament of NauruParliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
, succeeding Riddell Akua. He entered office on 20 March 2008.
On 22 March, Adeang called a Parliamentary session, allegedly without informing government ministers, who therefore did not attend. Opposition MPs, Adeang included, constituted a majority of legislators present, and passed a ruling outlawing dual citizenship
Nauruan nationality law
Nationality and citizenship in the Republic of Nauru are currently defined and regulated by the Constitution of Nauru and the Nauruan Community Ordinance 1956-1962. Dual citizenship is permitted.-Obtaining citizenship:...
for Members of Parliament. The ruling, if applied, would affect senior Cabinet ministers Dr. Kieren Keke
Kieren Keke
Kieren Aedogan Ankwong Keke is a Nauruan politician and medical doctor. He is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has previously been speaker of the Nauruan Parliament.-Background:...
and Frederick Pitcher
Frederick Pitcher
Frederick William "Freddie" Pitcher is a Nauruan political figure. In December 2007, Pitcher was appointed Finance Minister of Nauru, to serve in the Administration of President Marcus Stephen....
. Were they compelled to resign from Parliament, the Opposition would control a majority of seats in Parliament. The government rejected the legitimacy of the ruling, stating that it was unconstitutional
Constitutionality
Constitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution. Acts that are not in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution are deemed to be ultra vires.-See also:*ultra vires*Company law*Constitutional law...
because of the lack of parliamentary quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
. President Marcus Stephen accused Adeang and the Opposition of passing the ruling "after dark on Easter Saturday", "under candelight". For his part, Adeang asserted that the 22 March session of Parliament was valid.
Claims of a Coup d'état
On 28 March, Adeang, as Speaker, ordered Keke and Pitcher to vacate their seats in Parliament. They refused to do so, and Adeang suspended the sitting.On 31 March Adeang claimed that the Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
government had mounted a coup: since the police refused to eject two government ministers from the chamber of Parliament, in accordance with his ruling of 28 March, the rule of Parliament no longer governed the police. The Government, in response, denied the claim, stating that they were awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court on the issue.
The crisis continued into early April 2008, with Adeang stating that he would consider the Supreme Court's ruling as "just an opinion", and Keke responding that the Supreme Court, not the Speaker, had the jurisdiction to determine a member of Parliament's eligibility.
Adeang questions Supreme Court ruling; suspends President Stephen and his ministers
On 7 April, it was reported by the government that the Supreme Court had ruled in the government's favour, apparently confirming that the law forbidding members of Parliament from holding dual nationality was anticonstitutional and invalid, due to lack of quorum. The Court also reportedly rejected Adeang's claim that the courts have no jurisdiction over Parliament. Adeang said that he would seek legal advice before responding to the court's ruling.Relations between Adeang, as Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru
Parliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
, and the Stephen Administration, remained under severe strain following the ruling, and the Administration's ministers continued to exercise executive powers without the support of Parliament.
Following the 7 April release of the Supreme Court decision which ruled against the dual nationality law, with the passing of which Adeang was particularly identified, Adeang indicated that forty years of post-independence Parliamentary precedent had been set aside. For its part, the government of Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
strongly welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling: whether or not for ideological and principled reasons also, it was seen as ensuring the immediate survival of the Administration.
On 10 April, following allegations of unruly behaviour in the chamber of the Parliament of Nauru
Parliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
, Adeang, as Speaker, suspended President Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
from Parliament, along with all members who supported Stephen's Administration. On 18 April, Stephen declared a state of emergency, dissolved Parliament, and announced fresh elections
Nauruan parliamentary election, 2008
Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on April 26, 2008, following the dissolving of Parliament by President Marcus Stephen on April 18. The decision came after what Stephen referred to as "months of political deadlock"...
. In so doing, President Stephen claimed to be seeking a way out of the impasse which has characterized the relationship between the Government and the Parliament of Nauru, since the Stephen Administration lost a working majority there. For Adeang, the step was one which he had been advocating for several weeks.
Replacement as Speaker
Adeang was replaced as Speaker of the Parliament of NauruParliament of Nauru
The Parliament of Nauru has 18 members, elected for a three year term in multi-seat constituencies. The President of Nauru is elected by the members of the Parliament.The members of the Parliament of Nauru are elected by a positional voting system....
by Riddell Akua (who also preceded him as Speaker), following the elections of 26 April 2008, when President Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
increased his support.
Loss of ally
With the death in July 2008 of former President Rene HarrisRené Harris
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.-Background and early career:...
, David Adeang lost an important ally with whom he had closely worked in the earlier part of 2008.