Palauans in NMI, Guam, Hawaii to vote on Sat.

Palauan absentee voters in the CNMI, Guam and Hawaii will go to the polling place this Saturday Nov. 1 in connection with the upcoming general elections at home, Palau’s consulate office on Saipan announced yesterday.

Consul Eileen Kintol said the polling place would be located at Building E of Marianas High School, which would be open from 7am to 9pm.

There are over a thousand Palauans in the CNMI but the consulate office cannot determine the exact number of registered absentee voters. Kintol said they could only estimate the number at about 300 to 500.

Some 50 voters attended a meeting with Palau Community College President Patrick Telei, who spoke about the upcoming general elections at the Minachom Atdao Tuesday night.

Telei, who was here for a seminar, said he was just speaking in his personal capacity because he wanted to educate Palauan citizens in the CNMI about the several amendments that would be part of the elections.

Telei was a member of the Second Constitutional Convention that drafted 23 proposed changes to the Palau Constitution.

Presidential candidate Johnson Toribiong was the chairman of the ConCon.

Palauan citizens would be electing a new President and Vice President as well as the 13 members of the Senate.

Lawyer Johnson Toribiong and House of Delegate member Kerai Mariur would face the tandem of current Vice President Elias Camsek Chin and Senate Floor Leader Alan Seid.

There are a total of 43 candidates for the Senate, the most in the history of Palauan elections. The list includes outgoing President Tommy Remengesau Jr., who earlier this year was co-named with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore as Time Magazine’s environment awardees of the year.

There are six incumbent senators that include Mlib Tmetuchl, Hokkons Baules, Santy Asanuma, Yukiwo Dengokl, Caleb Otto and Alfonso Diaz, while five are Remengesau’s Cabinet ministers including Elbuchel Sadang (Finance), Temmy L. Shmull (Stae), Otoichi Besebes (Commerce and Trade), Fritz Koshiba (Resources and Development), and Mario Katosang (Education).

Only one member of the House of Delegate is seeking a Senate seat, Joel Toribiong, who represents the commercial capital of Koror in the lower chamber and is the younger brother of the other presidential candidate.

The others are lawyer Raynold Arnold Oilouch, businessman Mark U. Rudimch, Headstart Director Regina K. Mesebeluu, Masayuki Adelbai, Haruo Ngiraked Wilter, Gale Ngirmidol, Masa-Aki Emesiochel, Joan Hinang Demei, Adalbert Eledui, Jeff Ngrarsaol, Paul Ueki, Tadashi Sakuma, Martin Renguul, Elia Tulop, Ngirataoch Nick Ngiwal, Dair Sumang, James Unique Orak, Roman Yano, Radao Ngotel, Joel Toribiong, Jonh B. Skebong, Dwight Alexander, Regis Akitaya, J. Risong Tarkong, Ernest Ongidobel, Lorenza Olkeriil, Kathy Kesolie, Jennifer Sugiyama-Yano, Dilmei Olkeriil, Steven Kanai and Gillain Johannes.