(2010) Samuel F Mcphetres References Republic of Palau
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152 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) Those with nmd status will cast their ing voting on land issues to persons ballots in a separate nmd box at each of Northern Marianas descent is polling place, and if the constitutional- expected to be filed sometime in the ity of the restricted voting is upheld, near future, in hopes of resolving that only their votes will be counted. issue before the 2011 vote on amend- Related to the above issue are prep- ing the land alienation clause. arations for 2011 when voters will samuel f mcphetres have the opportunity to amend, repeal, or retain the land alienation clause of the constitution (article XII), which References restricts landownership to persons of Northern Marianas descent. Article CNMI lrc, Commonwealth Law Revision VIII of the CNMI Covenant provides Commission Web site. CNMI Constitu- for this opportunity, and, even though tion. http://cnmilaw.org/constitution.htm the vote is not until 2011, the debate McPhetres, Samuel F. 2008. Micronesia has become very heated. Free-market in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2007 proponents want to at least amend the to 30 June 2008: Commonwealth of the article to allow for longer-term leases, Northern Mariana Islands. The Contem- but certainly prefer to have it repealed porary Pacific 21:132–136. completely; they are lining up against cultural preservation parties who feel that landownership should be retained Republic of Palau in the hands of the indigenous people as a gesture of respect for their culture. The major issues and events for the However, since nmd status (and hence period under review were the cam- land rights) are legally determined by paign and election 2008; the peaceful the 25 percent blood quantum, large- transfer of power to a new president scale intermarriage between different and his work; the efforts of the Palau ethnicities has diluted the indigenous National Congress (Olbiil Era Kelu- population to the point where a lau, or oek); events in Koror; allega- significant number of people who tions of corruption; an update on the currently qualify as persons of North- Pacific Savings Bank (psb) failure; and ern Marianas descent are concerned Palau’s relations with Taiwan, the about not being able to pass on their United States, and Japan. land to their children. Also, high on With President Tommy E Remenge- the pro-repeal agenda is the increasing sau Jr ending his second term in office evidence that foreign investment has in January 2009, the presidential field not reached its potential in the com- was wide open, and four candidate monwealth because investors cannot teams emerged, as indicated in last own the property they want to invest year’s review (Shuster 2009). The in. At most, a fifty-five-year lease is primary election of 23 September currently available for private land. 2008 witnessed a 66 percent voter This argument is particularly acute turnout (9,295 voters). The team of given the current economic status of Vice President Elias Chin and Senator the commonwealth. A legal challenge Alan Seid finished strongly, taking first to the constitutional provision limit- with 3,027 votes, ahead of attorney pol i t ical reviews • micronesia 153 Johnson Toribiong and Delegate large campaign billboard with a small Kerai Mariur with 2,526 votes. Senate Toribiong-Mariur poster. The issue president and businessman Surangel got sorted out after some time. A few Whipps and Billy Kuartei, chief of irregularities regarding ballots also staff (on leave) for President Remenge- took place on Guam, but these were sau, finished third with 2,248 votes, honest mistakes by the Palau Election which was a tremendous effort. What Commission and were resolved. apparently hurt this team was the The Senate race provided a huge decision to join in the big debates and surprise and was the talk of Palau. forums instead of remaining in their Surangel Whipps Jr, who had cho- area of strength—small group ses- sen not to run for the Senate but to sions—where the two displayed an assist his father in his presidential element of magnetism and charisma. bid, came first among the forty-three Finishing last in the primary field candidates at the primary level with an with 1,387 votes were Senator Joshua astounding 6,709 votes as a write-in Koshiba and Peleliu Governor Jackson candidate. After the primary, he had a Ngiraingas. A constitutional initiative brief six weeks to campaign but did so passed in the 2004 election required, wisely, taking the advice of his father. for the first time, that candidates run Of course, Whipps Jr benefited from as a team rather than as separate the good name of Whipps Sr, who individuals, as had been the practice in ran first in the 2000 and 2004 Senate all seven previous national elections. races. One might call it some spe- However, voters in 2008 reversed the cial magic, but it worked. The other 2004 initiative, reestablishing separate twelve winners in the Senate included, tickets for election of the executive in in order, Raynold Oilouch, a well- 2012. known attorney (6,392 votes); Mlib As expected, the general race on Tmetuchl, a popular incumbent (5,646 4 November 2008 for the presidency votes); Joel Toribiong, an incumbent and vice presidency was very tight. from the House (5,403 votes); Kathy Here, Toribiong / Mariur emerged Kesolei, a well-known personality first with 5,040 votes to Chin / Seid’s (5,240 votes); Mark Rudimch, from 4,828, a difference of just 212 votes. a high-ranking Koror family (5,106 Interestingly, some 504 voters left votes); Hokkons Baules, an incumbent their ballots blank—perhaps uncertain (4,634 votes); Adalbert Eledui, a well- about what team to vote for, but still known Koror person (4,128 votes); showing respect for both teams by not Regina Mesebeluu, a retired teacher voting. Of Palau’s 14,289 registered (3,938 votes); Alfonso Diaz, radio and voters, 10,469 or 73 percent turned television personality (3,809 votes); out to vote. The candidates realized Tommy Remengesau Jr, the sitting the race would be very close and were president who would be out of office campaigning in Honolulu, Saipan, on 15 January 2009 (3,772 votes); and Guam, right up to voting day (2 Regis Akitaya (3,319 votes); and Paul November on these off-island loca- Ueki (3,211 votes). Of the senators, tions). An incident on Guam generated two are female, and only four have considerable discussion: the pasting previous congressional experience, over of Billy Kuartei’s image on a making the senators mostly freshmen. 154 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) Remengesau ran a distant eleventh into office in January. In the Senate, because of criticism that he had alleg- Mlib Temtuchl, who served as vice edly used the presidency to enrich president in the previous Senate, was himself while, after eight years in chosen as president; Kathy Kesolei, office, he failed to move Palau materi- community activist and from a high ally toward economic self-sufficiency. clan in Melekeok, was selected as A similar situation characterizes vice president; and attorney Raynold the sixteen-seat House of Delegates. Oilouch was named as floor leader. It has an amazing total of thirteen On the House of Delegates side, freshmen, with the only incumbents former vice speaker and environmen- being Noah Idechong, Kalistus talist Noah Idechong was selected as Ngirturong, and Jonathan Isechal. A Speaker; Alexander Merep was chosen few of the House races were close. as vice speaker; and newcomer Gibson In Ngarchelong State, Marhence Kanai, a former Speaker of the Nga- Madrangchar, a 2005 Constitutional raard State Legislature, took the floor Convention delegate, defeated Faus- leader’s position. tina Rehuher-Marugg, director of the In 2005, Palau’s second Consti- Belau National Museum, 203 to 191; tutional Convention (Con-Con) of Dilmai Saiske finished third with 188 twenty-five members approved 22 votes, and Don Bukurou finished last amendments (out of some 250 propos- with 164. In Melekeok State, out of als) to the 1979 constitution, and the four candidates, newcomer Lencer Olbiil Era Kelulau added one more. Basilius from a prominent Babeldaob These all appeared on the November family garnered 176 votes; F Kazuo 2008 ballot and were well phrased for Asanuma, former congressman and an easy “yes” or “no” response. Dr reportedly in line for the distinguished Patrick Tellei, president of Palau Com- title of Reklai (one of two paramount munity College and member of the chiefs in Palau), finished a distant Con-Con education group, prepared third with 89 votes. But Ngchesar a practice card listing all 23 amend- State had six candidates competing to ments (including the one added by the represent the people. Moses Uludong, oek). He had some 18,000 copies of well-known publisher of the Tia Belau the card printed and widely distrib- News and a senator in the first Olbiil uted. The card must have persuaded Era Kelulau, was surprisingly defeated people to think and talk about the by freshman Secilil Eldebechel by just amendments, and it speeded up the 15 votes, 118 to 103. And finally, voting as well. in Koror, with the largest number of As a measure of the unpopular- registered voters of Palau’s sixteen ity of the executive joint ticket and states, Alexander Merep, a minister in the congressional three-term limit Remengesau’s administration and a requirements that were on the ballot member of a socially high Koror clan, for 2004, at least with the twenty-five easily defeated two opponents, taking Con-Con members, these amend- 1,929 votes to their 751 and 402.