January 6, 2012

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Friendly election is won by Christopher Loeak The Marshall Islands Nitijela elected Ailinglaplap Senator Christopher Jorebon Loeak (pictured) as the nation’s sixth President at the opening of Nitijela Tuesday. The change of leadership was accomplished without rancor as immediately following Loeak’s election, outgoing President Jurelang Zedkaia promised his support of Loeak’s new government. The new President is an iroij, continuing the trend of traditional leaders holding the top political office in the RMI. Of the six presidents who have held office since 1979, five have been iroij. Loeak was elected by the widest margin since Nitijela member Kessai Note was first elected president in 2000 by a unanimous vote of Nitijela. The 21-11 in favor of Loeak showed the strength the opposition was able to put together by joining forces with Note’s UDP splinter group. Donald Capelle (pictured above right) easily won election as Speaker against the KEA Party’s nominee Brenson Wase (pictured second from above), as did Tomaki Juda (pictured second from below) who defeated KEA Party’s nominee John Silk (pictured below). Both won 20-13. The presidential vote could have been a clear two-thirds of the 33 members, except one member cast a vote for “Kessai Note.” The Nitijela chamber was packed, with a standing room only audience watching the two-hour proceeding. Alvin Jacklick’s last session as Speaker started exactly at 10am. After Loeak was elected, outgoing President Zedkaia took the microphone. “I respect the outcome,” he said of the election. Zedkaia expressed happiness at Loeak, a fellow iroij, being the opposing candidate and praised his election. “We will work and stand with you,” Zedkaia said. “If you see a need where we can help, we are prepared to step up.” Zedkaia compared the government and opposition groups to oil and water that normally don’t go together. “But in an engine, oil makes it work, while water cools it off,” he said of his offer to work with the new government. President Loeak said he appreciated Zedkaia’s remarks, adding that the new government will need everyone’s help. “This is a good day,” Loeak said. He praised the smoothly handled election as an indicator of the maturity of the political process, and said he is prepared to listen to all advice offered. Council of Iroij Chairman Kotak Loeak called on all members of the Nitijela to work together for the betterment of the country, saying that togetherness “makes it easier to achieve goals for the country.” The Nitijela recessed at about 12 noon Tuesday to allow the new President time to appoint his Cabinet. The members are awaiting the call of the Speaker, with the inauguration of the new government and swearing in of the President and Cabinet anticipated for early next week.

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Supreme Court CJ regulates oath Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Cadra (pictured) was on hand Tuesday to administer the oath of office to the 33 members of Nitijela. But unusually, he had to do this twice within 30 minutes. Both Senators Kessai Note and Caios Lucky arrived in the chamber after the initial swearing in had been performed soon after Nitijela convened for its first meeting of the year. The vote for Speaker could not be conducted until Note and Lucky were sworn in. Cadra, ably assisted by High Court Clerk Ingrid Kabua, was called back to the podium to deliver the oath to the two senators. Then, after elections of the Speaker and Vice Speaker, Cadra and Kabua administered the oath to new Speaker Donald Capelle and Vice Speaker Tomaki Juda. Dartmouth group hits Majuro town Marshall Islands High School students will begin rehearsing the Shakespeare play ‘As You Like It’ once school returns from its Christmas and New Year break next week. According to Professor Andrew Garrod (pictured), who’s been directing the plays for many years, this year it is a romantic comedy written in 1599 by Shakespeare. “The main character is a woman name Rosalind and in the first scene she dresses up as a boy to avoid getting caught in troubles and has another girl fall in love with her,” said Garrod. Garrod’s 10-week visit to Majuro is part of a Dartmouth College program that brings a small group of students here to get practical experience teaching under the guidance of veteran teachers as well as to help produce the play.

UES project gets green light The long-delayed new Uliga Elementary School is moving forward for the first time in years. The Developed Design was submitted November 1, on schedule and the various entities, agencies and people involved have approved the plan with some minor revisions, reports Reynaldo Sunga, the Manager of the Project Management Unit at Public Works. “Final acceptance and permission to proceed to final design, from the Design Management Team, has been granted,” the PMU report said. A geotechnical investigation of 20 boreholes, test pits and core samples has revealed that cemented coral underlies 30 percent of the school site. This will result in location adjustments to the two senior blocks and a change to the foundation design philosophy for five of the seven buildings, the PMU said. The completed final design containing specifications, procurement data and bidding documentation will be submitted on schedule in February. The project work is funded by US Compact money.

Shoppers win iPads Payless Retail Manager Rafael Abaya and Front-End Manager Christine Compares congratulate the two winners of the December 30 Frito Lay iPad giveaway at the Delap store: JJ Higa Erra (above) and Milton Zackios.

Japan to help fix the ECC? GIFF JOHNSON More than six months after part of its roof collapsed, the ECC gym (pictured) in Delap sits silently — no basketball, volleyball or other sports activities within, and little prospect of it getting back into use in 2012. Behind the scenes, the RMI Ministry of Public Works has produced cost estimates for replacing the roof, Chief Secretary Casten Nemra has initiated discussions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on possible help, and JICA has responded with plans to send a technical survey team to Majuro. But funding for fixing this national sports asset — the only recreation center of its kind in Majuro — has not yet been identified, and it is not included in the current year priority projects identified by the RMI government for funding this year. “In this year’s budget, there is a renovation and maintenance budget set for the capital building, government ships, ICC, public schools and medical facilities,” said Nemra. “Regarding the ECC, the amount required to fix it is significant and we are dialoging with our JICA partner for assistance.” JICA Resident Representative Junji Ishizuka told the Journal on Wednesday that when JICA completes a construction project such as the ECC gym and turns it over to the host nation, “it becomes the recipient’s responsibility.” He said JICA engineers reviewed the report prepared on the roof damage by the Ministry of Public Works and concluded that there “was no technical defect in the construction.” The problem was the “lack of maintenance work by the RMI side,” he said. “The RMI did not observe the maintenance guidelines we provided to them at the time.” Heavy termite damage caused the partial collapse of the roof on the lagoonside of the facility, and has also caused considerable damage to the roof support beams throughout the rest of the ECC. But despite Japan as the donor not being at fault in the matter, it does not want to see this asset sitting idle and further deteriorating. “We are considering a new technical survey team to visit maybe in February or March,” Ishizuka said. This team will look at the cause of the damage and how to restore the facility. One option that will be considered is demolishing the structure and rebuilding from scratch. But whatever option is chosen it is unlikely that Japan can or will fund the entire cost. “We will consult with the RMI regarding co-financing options,” he said.

Use of gym not going to happen in year '12

Kolej flies in from British Museum Derek Horiuchi (pictured) has a sharp eye. Out on the lagoonside in the Batkan area Monday afternoon, he spotted a bird that had something hanging off its leg. Taking a closer look, he saw that it was some kind of tag. That sparked his curiosity, so he quickly put together a makeshift net, caught the sandpiper (kolej), and discovered that the bird had several tags on its right leg. Within minutes of this finding, he took the next correct step by ringing the Journal. “I’ve caught this bird that has a tag from the British Museum on it,” he told us. So we shot over to take a look and get a photo. The bird, which everyone identified as a “kolej,” had three bands on its right leg. A tiny ring listed “British Museum of London SW7” and included the control number “SV13273.” Two additional bands, one yellow and one white, are emblazoned with “J1.” How to proceed? Get on the information superhighway, otherwise known as the Internet, type in “British Museum of London” and then look for references to birds. We found it soon enough, and were directed to a website devoted to information about a “ringing scheme” for birds. The tag on our local bird links it a program in England and Ireland, where, according to the website, over 2,600 trained, volunteer ringers put rings on over 900,000 birds in Britain and Ireland each year, helping us to understand the reasons for population change — vital information for conservation. So did our Majuro bird commute from England or Ireland — a modest, 13,000 mile flight, or was some intrepid British or Irish bird ringer in the tropics incognito sticking rings on birds? We submitted the data from the rings on our tiny bird to the website, which promises to respond with details about where the ring was put on the bird. We hoped for a reply before press time Wednesday, but apparently the New Year extends longer in England than it does in Majuro, so we’re still waiting for a reply. Stay tuned.

Journal 1/9/1987 P6 Rina wins trip for excellence Being taught the relationship between work and reward as a youngster paid off for Rina Rithen at Marshalls Insurance Agency. She was awarded an all-expenses paid 10-day trip to Honolulu for being the top life insurance producer for Grand Pacific Life Ltd. in 1986. P6 Warm up They just couldn’t wait for the big lojibjib tournament on the 17th, so 43 small boat fishermen had their own tournament last Saturday. The Jorkan boys, Edinal and Roland, along with Vincent Reimers and Wyatt McMillan, organized a bottom fishing tournament for small boat fishermen. Ben Kiotak was “wodatata” (biggest lucky) bringing in 49 pounds of prime bottom fish, including a couple of lojibjib. Vincent was wodalok (big lucky), boating 46 pounds of fish and Robert Keleb was “woda” (just lucky) bringing in 42 pounds of prime consumer’s delight. Alice Reimers won the shark award for bringing in the largest shark. P9 Congratulations Glorina Harris of the hospital’s Mental Health section receives a certificate of merit from Minister of Health Tony deBrum. Twenty-five Health employees were awarded certificates at the ceremony. President Kabua spoke and expressed his appreciation for the fine work performed by Health personnel in 1986. P13 Rudy Muller ends nearly 40 years of service Master mariner Rudoph (Rudy) Muller retired last month after 37 years of service in the Marshall Islands. Diligent service, trustworthy, honest, faithful, cooperative and dependable are some of the adjectives describing Rudy in a letter signed by President Kabua in December. Rudy started his career with the Trust Territory as a ship captain in 1949. Journal 1/8/1973 P4 Does Majuro need a full-time mayor? The Majuro Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution Friday asking the District Administrator to create a full-time position of Magistrate for the Darrit-Uliga-Delap (DUD) Municipality. The present position of Magistrate is held by Birash Joash, a middle-aged soft-spoken Marshallese who works full time for the Department of Education. According to Birash, he receives a salary of $100 each month in his position as magistrate in addition to $424 monthly from his government job. He favors making it a full-time job. “I recommended that the salary should be $600 a month because such a salary would attract capable applicants,” said Birash. He mentioned there are quite a few young men who have college diplomas who would probably be interested in the job. Journal 1/6/1995 P1 “Here’s to ya!” A new, lighter, more American-style brew has been prepared by Marshalls Brewing Company and is available in various clubs and bars around the island. The new production, one of a series of energetic attempts to define and develop a brew that is suited to local tastes, indicates a maturing of the marketing sense of the brewery. Until recently, the brewery has been targeting a more substantial taste in their manufacture, something beer drinkers identify as “bitter.” This is perhaps the result of overhearing too many vociferous Kiwi and Aussie beer drinkers disclaim the inherent desirability of good old fashioned Budweiser. Seeing grown men actually gag and provide tears in their eyes as they were forced to drink Bud evidently had some affect on the various brew masters who have employed their trade in the Republic. They forgot to take note that while the Kiwis and Aussies gagged and teared, they nonetheless held on firmly to their Budweisers and stoically finished them off, all the way to the last drop, and then contented themselves immediately with ordering another libation of suffering. These circumstances are what led to the mistaken idea that Marshallese beer drinkers would prefer a beer that is not properly and extensively filtered to provide a high quality beverage. So beer drinkers are encouraged to have yet another go at the latest production of Marshalls Brewery. From all accounts, it will make Kiwis blush and gag with nausea, Aussies belch and burp with gaseous incontinence, and our local brew masters rich as hell.