Tommy Remengesau
KOROR (Pacnews/Island Times) — Former Palau President Tommy Esang Remengesau Jr. is again running for his island nation’s highest elective office.
With family members, friends and other supporters, Remengesau filed his candidacy at the Palau Election Commission after over 5,000 individuals signed a petition urging him to run.
Remengesau was first elected president in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. In 2012, he again successfully sought the presidency and won another term in 2016 by narrowly defeating his brother-in-law, Surangel Whipps Jr., who is now Palau’s president.
In response to claims that his candidacy is unconstitutional, Remengesau said, “We have always adhered to the rules and the Constitution, and we meticulously conducted our research and sought legal advice before taking any action. Our declaration today is a direct response to the call of the Palauan people, and I am committed as ever to serving their interests with integrity and dedication in line with the constitutional intent.”
According to the Palau Constitution, “A person may not serve as President for more than two consecutive terms.”
The Palau Election Commission, for its part, will review all nominations and certify the candidates’ eligibility to run for office within the next two weeks.
For VP
In related news, Raynold “Arnold” Oilouch filed his vice presidential candidacy on Aug. 5 with his family and friends.
He and many candidates filed their candidacies on Aug. 5 based on the traditional belief that the “new moon” is an auspicious day to start new endeavors.
In a statement, Oilouch said with the blessing of his family, he has decided to run for the office of the vice president to support whoever gets elected president and to strengthen government services for the benefit of the people.
Oilouch served as vice president from 2017 to 2021 and ran unsuccessfully against Surangel Whipps Jr. in the 2020 presidential election.
This time, Oilouch is running against the incumbent vice president, Uduch Sengebau-Senior, a former Senate colleague and fellow attorney.
Budget
The national budget allocated $514,872 to the Palau Election Commission for this year’s election.
The commission received a budget of $277,000 in 2022 and $331,000 in 2023.
The increase in its budget reflects the higher cost of conducting a national election that will involve proper and central ballot boxes for all 16 states.
