WHEREAS, Title 3 of the Yap State Code, Section 158 states that “A vacancy in the Office of the Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall be determined by the State Court upon presentation to it of a resolution declaring the grounds of the vacancy, adopted by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Legislature.”; and

WHEREAS, it is self-evident that the grounds of the current vacancy is due to the passing of the late Governor Charles S. Chieng on May 22, 2025; and

WHEREAS, in the absence of clear Constitutional and practical provisions on transition of the Lieutenant Governor to the Office of the Governor and using Yap State Resolution No. 10-56 as precedence; and

WHEREAS, notwithstanding the opinion provided in Departmental Communication No. 11-07, and in the interest of consistency, it is the Legislature’s sense that actions must be taken in a similar manner when dealing with any vacancy in the Office of the Governor; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Eleventh Legislature of the State of Yap, Third Regular Session, 2025, that the Legislature hereby respectfully requests the Chief Justice of the Court of the State of Yap to declare a vacancy in the Office of the Governor pursuant to 3 YSC 158; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Justice is also respectfully requested to swear into Office the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Yap as the new Governor of the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of the State Court of Yap, the Cabinet members, the Chairman of the Council of Pilung, and the Chairman of the Council of Tamol.