The Nitijela of the Republic of the Marshall Islands pursuant to its Constitutional mandate, opened it’s 37^th Constitutional Session on the 4^th of January 2016, with the central focus on the elections of the Speaker, the Vice Speaker and the President for the new four-year term of the Nitijela.

Senator Kenneth Kedi was elected as the Seventh Speaker of the Nitijela. He was nominated by the Kien Eo Ad (KEA) Party and received majority of 19 votes over the former President Christopher Loeak with 14 votes, who was nominated by the Aelon Kein Ad (AKA) Party.

Listed below is the history of Speakers of the Nitijela of the Republic of the Marshall Islands:

1979 - 1987   1st Speaker - Hon. Atlan Anien.

1988 - 1999   2nd Speaker - Hon. Kessai H. Note

2000 - 2007   3rd Speaker - Hon. Litokwa Tomeing

2008 - 2009   4th Speaker - Hon. Jurelang Zedkaia

2010 - 2011   5th Speaker - Hon. Alvin T. Jacklick 

2012 - 2015   6th Speaker - Hon. Donald F. Capelle

The Election of the Speaker was conducted by the outgoing Speaker, Donald Capelle, who handed over the gavel to Speaker Kedi upon his taking office, to conduct the election of the Vice Speaker, followed by the Presidential election. The Vice Speaker seat was won by Senator Jejwarick Anton with the same number of votes casted against Senator Eldon Note.

Senator Casten Nemra of Jaluit Atoll was elected the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands by a simple majority of 17 votes against Senator Alvin T. Jacklick with 16 votes. Both Speaker Kedi and President Nemra are 44 years of age, representing a new leadership in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.