Happy and Sad Notes
We join the governor and people of these islands in offering our most profound congratulations to Mr. Leo Falcam who will be inaugurated President of the Federated States of Micronesia this weekend.
The President-Elect is a seasoned administrator having served as deputy high commissioner of the former Trust Territory Government here. In the Rain Garden of Micronesia, the seat of the FSM Government, Mr. Falcam served in various leadership roles until his election as titular head of the FSM.
Throughout his career with the TT Government, Mr. Falcam had visited most islands in the FSM, including the Republics of Belau and Marshalls. With such wide experience about island governments in the FSM, we’re most optimistic that he will provide proactive leadership for our brothers and sisters in the FSM. He would lead the
FSM as it closes out this millennium and set itself to meet new challenges of the 21st Century.
Congratulations President Falcam on your inauguration as titular of a young island nation. Our fondest bien venido as you buckle down to begin your new leadership role. Congratulations!
On a less happier note, we also extend our most profound sense of condolences to the family of the late Roman Tmetuchl of the Republic of Palau for his untimely passing. Many of us remember the late businessman and politician from Belau during his tenure as a senator in the former Congress of Micronesia.
The late Tmetuchl was a visionary who had big dreams of an independent government poised to reap the benefits of East and West in forging a prosperous economic foundation. He was a giant in his views of independence as the ultimate political future for the entire region. It wasn’t to be when in 1975, on the floor of the
Micronesian Constitutional Convention, the true sentiments of the NMI, Belau and the Marshalls were trumpeted that eventually disintegrated the dream of a unified Micronesia.
Be that as it may, island governments learned rather quickly that although we can’t march forward together in our various political aspirations, there’s still a great need for regionalism as we march toward the next millennium. In a way, regional unity in some form was the vision of one of Micronesia’s political giants. It may not be total independence, but indepence in inter-dependence.
Let us remember both distinguished gentlemen in our thoughts and prayers throughout the week and wish them well in their individual journey as current and former leaders of island governments in the Micronesian Region. Si Yuus Maase`!
