Politically, Micronesia moving again
p. 28 · Read in the full issue
Political developments in US Micronesia are moving again, after the rather stunned calm that followed the burning down of the Congress of Micronesia on Saipan on February 20.
Unknown arsonists were responsible—and it’s still believed that the fire had a lot to do with the fact that the Marianas District objected to a bill which sought to put a three per cent, income tax on all TT incomes from July 1, and the additional fact that the Marianas District legislature had just decided that the district should secede from the Trust Territory “by force of arms if necessary”. (PIM, Mar., p. 23).
The tax bill will come into force notwithstanding. It was signed into law by High Commissioner Edward Johnston in March, without further fireworks.
Meanwhile, the United States has agreed to continue talks on Micronesia’s future political status, and Dr. Franklin Haydn Williams has been named as President Nixon’s personal representative for the negotiations. Dr. Williams served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence from 1958-62, a fact which has not gone unnoticed. His talks will be with the Congress of Micronesia’s new Joint Committee on Future Status, just set up under Senator Lazarus Sali (PIM, Apr., p. 24).
The question of Marianas secession will, of course, have to come up.
The Marianas attitude, which is not new, is now regarded as more pressing by both the Micronesian Congress and the Washington admin istration. The longer the administration takes to sort out the political future for the TT, the greater the danger of there being a permanent split within the TT. Some observers are now looking at the possibility of a TT without the Marianas, although this does not appear to be what most Micronesians want.
The Marianas have been having talks on the subject with admin istration officials both in Saipan and Washington. On Saipan in March they spoke with US Ambassador-at-Large David Kennedy at a closed meeting, and in April delegates were in Washington.
In early May the homeless Congress of Micronesia will hold its first meeting away from Saipan—in Truk.