Administrative divisions of the Oan Isles
The administrative divisions of the Oan Isles are organized and constituted in the framework of the Kaupapa Ture o Nga Motuere Oa (the Constitution of the Oan Isles in Wikipedia:Maori language:Oan). The National Assembly has complete authority over the administrative divisions of the Oan Isles which includes the power to control their boundaries, powers and finances as long as it provides for an elected form of government. Details concerning these administrative divisions are provided by the Ture Kawana-a-rohe (Local Government Law in Oan).
The Oan Isles only has 2 levels of government: national and local. There are 2 special cases which we will cover later. Local government takes place at the level of cities, towns, villages and surrounding hinterland called municipalities. Each local government has a Mayor elected by the population of that municipality who acts as the executive head of the local government. The Mayor appoints a Mayoral Council to assist them in the management of the affairs of the city. Because of the complexity and technical expertise involved in the running of a municipality, Mayors will also appoint a City Manager who is a professional civil servant that oversees the technical minutiae of municipal operations while the Mayor and Mayoral Council handle governance.
The Municipal Council is elected by the population of the municipality every four years. Council members are elected by single member constituencies by the run-off voting method. This system allows for many independent candidates to rise to prominence in local government. The Municipal Council approves appointments to crucial positions in the city namely members of the Mayoral Council. It holds regular question times with the Mayor and members of the Mayoral Council. It has the power to pass by-laws and approve expenditures.
The local authorities do not have their own judicial system. The judicial system is uniform throughout the country and is controlled by the national government. Most municipalities have at least one Magistrate Court to handle most criminal and civil cases.
Kohatu Isles
The relationship between the Oan Isles and the Kohatu Isles is legally complicated. In terms of international customary law, the Kohatu Isles is an overseas territory of the Oan Isles. Residents of the Kohatu Isles are citizens of the Oan Isles and enjoy the same rights as citizens of the Oan Isles. However, the power of the Oan Isles is not enshrined in its own laws. The primary vector of this relationship is the Kaupapa Ture o Nga Motuere Kohatu (the Constitution of the Kohatu Isles in Oan). It was passed by the Constitutional Assembly of the Kohatu Isles in 2018 which consisted of elected representatives of the Kohatu Isles.
It was preceded by the signing of the Treaty of Pounamupa (also known as the Treaty of Jewelica) in which the Oan Isles recognised the National Liberation Movement as the government of the Oan Isles. The NLM in turn dissolved itself and transferred the treaty to the newly established government of the Kohatu Isles. This treaty stated the NLM would surrender control over various areas of national interest to the Oan government. Furthermore, the Constitution which was passed also created provisions for the Oan legislature to approve all changes to the constitution of the Kohatu Isles.
Because of this complicated arrangement, the Kohatu Isles is not considered an administrative division of the Oan Isles. Nevertheless for political and practical reasons, the Kohatu Isles has been included as part of the Oan Isles.
Noamotu
Noamotu is an island in the home islands of the Oan Isles. It is among the top 5 largest and most populated islands of the Oan Isles. Its primary residents are the Noaiwi which is a tribe of the Oan Isles. Before the unification of the Oan Isles by Ahua the Great Noamotu was an independent Kingdom ruled by the Kings of the House of Rakau. However, when Noamotu was annexed, it became a member of the Oan Isles and its royal family became an Oan aristocratic family.
Despite over 1000 years of being part of the Oan Isles, the island has always insisted on maintaining a distinct and recognisable cultural identity. The island began agitating for greater control over its affairs in the 20th century. In 1940, the Noamotu Coordinating Council was created to coordinate policy among the local governments of the island. In 1960, the NCC was given control of shared affairs and ruling over jurisdictional disputes. In 1983, the NCC was restructured with its own Executive Committee and General Assembly. They were elected along the lines of the local governments as mentioned previously.
Starting in 1994, the NCC was delegated more powers by the successive acts on a case by case basis. The process of devolution culminated in 2017 when the Konoa People's Party campaigned for Noamotu to become a formally semi-autonomous region of the Oan Isles. The National Assembly agreed to this and re-established Noamotu as the Noamotu Territorial Government. The executive head of Noamotu is the Chief Minister and its cabinet is called the Territorial Executive Council and its legislature is called the Territorial Legislative Assembly.