Which Direction for Palau?

The Region

Ed Rampell reports on this month’s general elections

ON November 2 the Republic of Palau went to the polls to elect a new President, Vice President and National Congress (OEK) despite the fact that allega tions of wrongdoing have been raised against half of the presidential conten ders.

In the wake of President Lazarus Salii’s death the presidential sweep stakes consists of six men. Minister of Justice and interim President Thomas Remengesau Junior who, as Vice President, took over the remaining four months of the Salii presidency is running for a complete four-year term in office (in Palau, the President and Vice President do not run as a formal team, and then-VP Remenge sau had announced his candidacy prior to Salii’s death).

High Chief Ibedul Yutaka Gibbons, who finished a poor third in the 1984 general election, tossed his hat into the ring again in defiance of United States Congress accusations that he accepted a SUS 100,000 bribe from the IPSECO power project.

Ngchesar State Governor Moses Uludong has been accused in court of rape ... by the American attorney he

allegedly impregnated. The Palau

press has also alleged that the Gov

ernor misappropriated public funds,

though Uluclong denies the charges.

The former nuclear free and inde pendence advocate now supports Commonwealth status for Palau, which would make the Republic a US territory in perpetuity, but is believed by some Palauan observers of being a ‘spoiler’ with no chance of winning and making use of his candidacy only as leverage for a high appointee! post.

Businessman and Ngatpang State Governor Etpison, a strong advocate of the proposed Compact of Free Association between Palau and the USA, has won the support of the fac tion that had previously endorsed the late President Salii.

Minister of State John O Ngiraked is another pro-Compact candidate, but

perhaps the most interesting presiden

tial aspirant is Airai State Governor Roman Tmetuchl. In the 1980 and 1984 elections, Tmetuchl came in second to late President Haruo Re meliik and, though a strong conten der, did not run in the special 1985 election to replace Remeliik because relatives of his had been charged with (and were later convicted of) the presi dent’s Killing. However, according to

the American Civil Liberties Union and other bodies, the conviction proved to be a frame-up (allegedly to ensure Tmetuchl did not run in the special election) and the Appellate Di vision of the Palau Supreme Court ex onerated his family members. Now the family has been cleared, the most highly favoured contender against Re meliik is back in the running.

Governor Tmetuchl is being backed by anti-nuclear activists and by the Coalition for Open, Honest and Just Government, which has the support of a number of prominent Palauan lead ers including former Vice President Alfonso Oiterong and Senator Isidoro Rudimch. Tmetuchl is more critical of the proposed Compact than any of his opponents, and supports a renegotia tion of the treaty as well as US Con

gressional investigations into violence

and corruption in Palau. During his service as Palau’s political status nego tiator the Compact was seen as an in

terim 15-year period of intensive de velopment geared to full Palauan in dependence; but his successor none other than Lazarus Salii altered the term of the Compact to 50 years, with

the USA exercising military options in

the strategically located arcnipelago

for as long as Washington desired.

Vice Presidential candidates include Compact stalwart Delegate Kazuo Asa numa and Senator Kuniwo Nakamura, who is backed by the Coalition.

Palauans will also be selecting 16 members of the House of Delegates and 14 Senators. In the chief execu tive race a candidate needs a plurality to win, not a majority of votes cast: thus a new President could be elected with only 18 per cent of the vote.

The outcome of the general election will thus determine the future for this troubled Micronesian territory ... as well as that of Palau’s long deadlocked political status. □