Who will take

over from Tabai?

THE pundits are at work in Kiribati as the general election due on the Bth of next month draw near and the bets are placed for the name of the next president.

This election will see the stepping down of President leremia Tabai who has served the maximum three terms allowed under the constitution. He, however, is eligible to stand again and remain as a member of parliament.

The major question now is who is

going to replace him? Tipsters are

putting their money on Vice-President Teatao Teannaki, Natural Resources and Development Minister Taomati luta, Home Affairs and Decentralis-

ation Minister Babera Kirata, Oppo sition Leader Teburoro Tito, and Tarawa Urban Council member Roniti Teiwaki. The dark horse is Onotoa island member of parliament Tewareka Tentoa. The presidential election is likely to be held in June.

Teannaki is highly fancied for the job he once described as being “very tough”. He has been a close friend of Tabai and some believe Tabai could use his influence to swing the votes behind Teannaki.

Jostling for second favourites are Teiwaki and Tito. Teiwaki’s advan tage is his experience in government, having served in cabinet as Minister of Education and at another time Minis ter for Finance. He quit politics to become Director of Extension Services for the University of the South Pacific centre in Kiribati, becoming the most highly paid person in the country. He has left that job and is again seeking to continue his political career.

Voters started registering last month.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Francis Ngalu, with the approval of the Electoral Commission has directed all Electoral Officers in the country to open new registers for the election. The registration books used in the last election are not valid any more Ngalu has urged all eligible voters (18 years and above) to register their names in the new registers. The census last year showed a provisional popu lation of 72,000 Kiribati.

The Kiribati Constitution rules that the life of the Mancaba ni Maungatabu (National Parliament) should be four years. The term of the present Maneaba ni Maugatabu began on the April 6, 1987 and will be dissolved on the sixth of this month. □

Asaeli Lave Tabai: who's walking in?