Tokelau Government - 2004

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau

Dependency status:
self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a constitution and developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand

Government type:
NA

Capital:
none; each atoll has its own administrative center

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Independence:
none (territory of New Zealand)

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970

Legal system:
New Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by Administrator Neil WALTER (since NA 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term
head of government: Aliki Faipule Kuresa NASAU (since 2004) note - position rotates annually among members of the cabinet
cabinet: the Council of Faipule, consisting of three elected leaders - one from each atoll - functions as a cabinet

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Fono (48 seats; 15 members from each of the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms and the 3 island village mayors [pulenuku]); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UNESCO (associate), WHO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)