Parliament will vote for the country’s 10th Governor-General on February 9.
Speaker Theo Zurenuoc made the statement in Parliament this afternoon, in the first sitting of 2017.
The term of the current Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio will expire on February 24, 2017.
“He assumed office on 25 February 2011, the date of which he took diligence, oath and declaration of loyalty,” Zurenuoc said.
“Parliament must vote a new Governor-General in a period of three months before the completion of the governor-general (term), therefore in line with requirements of the Organic Law on the Nomination of Governor-General.”
The Speaker told Parliament that the nomination for three candidates for the Governor-General post will close on February 9.
“Signatory of the pusher, who must be an MP, person accepting the nomination must sign and not less than 15 MPs must support the candidate,” Zurenuoc said, of the requirements.
He added that all MPs will only support one candidate for the Governor-General’s post.