On May 11, 2007, the FSM Congress will elect the next President of Federated States of Micronesia from among four candidates; Resio Moses of Pohnpei State, Manny Mori of Chuuk State, Alik Alik of Kosrae State and Joseph Urusemal of Yap State who is the current sitting President.
If you believe the rumors and speculation going around, Resio Moses is not interested in the President or Vice President positions while Manny Mori publicly stated that he is only interested in the Presidency and will not accept the lesser Vice President position. Alik Alik would accept the Vice Presidency but only if Joseph Urusemal is re-elected as President for a second term.
In Chuuk the talk is all about Manny Mori being the next President of the FSM because it is Chuuk's turn. Well, it has been Chuuk's turn before and the FSM Congress has had several opportunities to elect a qualified
Chuukese as our President. The people of Chuuk Elected Redley Killion as our 4-year term Congressman 3 times knowing that this put him in line to be selected as the President of the FSM. Congressman Killion accepted the position of Vice President twice, serving as our Vice President for 8 years. He was denied the Presidency because all except one of our representatives from Chuuk decided that he should not be President.
Not since 1987, 20 years ago, has the State of Chuuk held the Presidency of the FSM. A few Chuukese voted against the whole State of Chuuk and denied Chuuk State the honor of having our second President. They did this because they individually were unhappy with Mr. Killion.
Manny Mori, who wants to be the next President of the FSM, did defeat Mr. Killion in the recent election for the Chuuk State 4-year seat in Congress. However, it was reminiscent of the political maneuvering that denied Chuuk State, and Mr. Killion, the Presidency. In the most recent election Mr. Mori and supporters managed to convince people of Chuuk that Mr. Killion was behind the arrests and convictions of several former national congressmen, a former mayor and a major businessman from Chuuk. Even after convicted and sentenced to prison, Mr. Killion could have helped them get out of jail if he had wanted to help them.
At the same time, Congressmen Mori led the families of these convicted felons to believe that if he were elected to the 4-year seat in Congress, he would then be selected President and, in a position to help these convicted felons, obtain pardons. Mr. Mori wrote glowing letters on behalf of these convicted felons in efforts to help them obtain early release from prison.
While Congressman Mori was falsely accusing Vice President Killion of being responsible for the convictions and imprisonment of these Chuukese, Vice President Killion refused to respond and attended to his national duties. In the end, and with the help of the convicted felons serving prison terms for graft and corruption while in office, Congressmen Mori defeated Vice President Killion for the 4-year seat in Congress.
Now Congressmen Mori only needs to be elected President to make good on his promise of pardons to the small group of felons who were numbered amongst those who helped him to be elected.
Is it also possible that a President Mori would pardon a certain Chuukese felon and then appoint him the next Attorney General of the FSM? Will OIC be raised to the National level? Stay tuned for more.
Francis Suda